From Man to Man Made
by Emerald Omen
Summary: In all my years of science, I learned many things. The most important one was to take no chances, and take every precaution. A mistake could change someone's life for the better, or for the worse. Unfortunately, I found that out first hand. Because of my mistake, I was going to find out what it was like to be different. I would find out what it was like... to be a machine.
1. Chapter 1

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I carefully tilted the test tube full of black liquid into the beaker of dark brown fluid. One single drop of the black liquid dropped down into the brown, causing a poof of gas to erupt into the air. I quickly jerked my head back, not wanting to risk inhalation of the toxic gas. I set the tube back into the holder, and switched off the Bunsen Burner that was heating the beaker. If I was correct, I had just perfected the chemical I had been working on for a full year.

If it did what it was supposed to, it would give people the ability to not be cut, nor have any bones broken. It would prevent sickness of any sort, and increase strength and tolerance of the human body to a nearly mechanical level. In a word, humans would have machine levels of strength and abilities.

I had started working on this after my brother had been killed in a car accident. I didn't want anyone else to have to go through loss, or know what it felt like. With this, people could live their lives without the worry of being killed in any way, shape, or form.

I removed my protective gloves, and face mask, and took a deep breath. Those protective face masks just don't breath at _all_. I adjusted my glasses as I ran my eyes over the mathematical formulas on my notebook. Yes, it all looked correct. The chemicals should have bonded correctly, and should be human friendly upon contact. That's what it was _supposed_ to do. But now the real question was, would it _do_ what it was supposed to do?

In all my years of science, I had learned many things. But the _most_ important thing I had learned was that just because it looks right, and should do something doesn't mean it _will_. Anything can happen, at any moment.

I put a cork in the top of the beaker, and carefully put it on the shelf to let it cool. I put a label on it, reading 'Man to Machine' on it, so I would know exactly what it was. Science affords no mistakes, so every precaution is necessary.

I took off my lab coat, and shut down the chemical brewing station. I walked around the table, making sure everything was sealed and safe. Once I was satisfied, I exited my large basement into the ground floor of my house.

My family had a large abundance of money, but I was the only one interested in science. I had been able to purchase a property of my own on an Island off the Mainland called Sodor, so I could have privacy and focus on my studies. Although I was out of College, graduating with _several_ degrees and PhD's, I didn't want to stop learning. Basically, I was your top notch nerd, and then some.

The Island was great, as far as I was concerned. Quiet, clean air, lots of land, and people were nice. My house was about a mile away from the nearest town, and the quickest way to get into town was my rail. I didn't own a car, and usually just took the train when I needed to go somewhere. Sodor was a _very_ rail reliant Island, with hundreds of miles of railroad in all directions, spanning the whole land mass. Hundreds of engine's of all shapes and sizes were always busy with their tasks, and at the head of it all was a man named Sir Topham Hatt. I had never met him personally, because my actual interest in trains was nonexistent. They were simply a machine used in my life, although perhaps that's being a little cold.

The trains are sentient, after all, so perhaps machine isn't the right word. I don't really know what to call them for sure.

I stepped outside, notebook in hand, and locked my door behind me. I needed to go into town to the _SSI_, Sodor Science Institution, and inform them of my progress. I had enrolled the moment I got settled on the Island, and they were eager to see this experiment's completion. Although, they knew as well as I that the most difficult part of testing something like this was finding someone _willing_ to test it. As I stated previously, anything could happen, and it could change someone's life forever, for better or for worse.

After a bit of walking, I entered the small countryside station, and looked at the time table. The next passenger service consist would be arriving in twenty three minutes, so I had some time to kill. I sat at the nearest bench, and went over my notes, triple checking everything to make sure it was correct before I pitched my completion of the experiment to the Institution. I certainly didn't want to make a fool of myself because an equation was incorrect.

I got so caught up in checking the pages, I was _beyond_ startled when the blow of a whistle interrupted the silence. I nearly ripped the page I was looking at out of the notebook as I jerked, my head shooting up to see the train pulling into the station. Pulled by a dark green engine, with one large drive wheel on each side. I sighed, as my one and only problem with this engine was that it shouldn't _work_. The piston rod was too close to the center of the wheel, which would make it a lot more difficult to move the wheel, because of the leverage being wrong, but for some reason, it worked anyway.

Sometimes the curse of understanding such complicated things is that I get annoyed when I see something that shouldn't work working. Oh well, it worked, and it was my ride.

I boarded the second of the two dark green coaches, and sat in the back so I could hopefully have some silence to finish checking my notes. Some would say I'm an introvert, but I say the possibility of helping humanity is a little more important than being social all the time.

After a few minutes, the train lurched forwards, and I was on my way into town. About half way through the trip, I declared my equations correct, and closed my notebook. I leaned back and looked out the window, a smile on my face. I couldn't help but imagine what would happen if my experiment was successful. Oh, the ways humanity could change. People could be free of so much anxiety, especially people that were born with medical problems, such as myself. I was born with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so I am prone to extremely painful stomach cramps anytime, anywhere. If this worked, medical conditions of all kinds would be nonexistent. It would help _so_ many people feel better about themselves.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, and the train stopped at the center town station known as Knapford. I got out, and began the short walk to the Institution. It was Saturday, so it wouldn't be overly busy. Hopefully, I could get right in to make my presentation.

Within a few minutes, I spotted the large brick building and walked through the front door. I had not called ahead of time, so they weren't expecting me. I found the central office, and walked in to find that there wasn't anyone else waiting. So, after filling out a few papers, I was told to head in and present the news of my completed work.

. . .

I left with a big smile on my face. They _loved_ it! And they even had someone willing to test it! All I had to do was bring the beaker full of the compound over tomorrow so they could run some tests on it, and then they'd go about testing it while I made a new mix. I had left my notebook there so they could copy the equations and overview my work, so I went back to the train station empty handed. Once again, I was early, so I had a few minutes to wait. I stared down the tracks in anticipation, eagerly waiting for the train to arrive so I could get back home and start making another mixture of my compound. After a few minutes, a train pulled into the station, although it was not one I'd ever seen before. It was a very small locomotive, pulling two coach's behind it. Four red wheels, a small green boxy body, and a tall funnel at the front.

I didn't pay it any mind either way as I boarded, and once the guard blew his whistle, I was off towards home to start my work again!

. . .

Once I finally got home, I _immediately_ went down to the basement to begin mixing. I prided myself on having a good memory, so I was convinced I could correctly make the mixture again off of my memory. I paused for a moment as I looked at myself in the reflection of one of the beakers. If you haven't wondered by now, the reason I devoted my life to science is because I wanted to be _strong_ and _unique_. Growing up, I was a skinny boy with no strength. I was bullied at school for many reasons. Again, typical nerd. I wanted to do something no one had ever done before. Something that would make me special, and strengthen humanity.

I shook my head, refocusing on my task, and pulled a few clean tubes and beakers out of storage, and hooked them up to the various hoses and Bunsen Burners. And with that, I started making a repeat of the experimental chemical.

. . .

It took me five hours, but I had finally done it again. Going off of memory had made it a little more difficult, but I had managed to remember everything. I was _extremely_ tired, but happy. As I studied the brown liquid in the beaker, I frowned. The liquid appeared to have something the first batch _didn't_. There were very tiny sparkling specks in the compound. I didn't recall those being in the first set. To verify, I went and looked at the first bottle still sitting on the shelf. Yes, I was right. Those specks _weren't_ in the first mixture.

I tiredly made my way over to the table, and picked up the new bottle, holding it up to the light. Whatever the specks were, they were reflective of light. I groaned, knowing something wasn't right, and therefore, I couldn't use this mixture. I would have to run analysis and find out what went wrong.

I let out a yawn, and carried the new mixture upstairs with me to my bedroom, setting it on my night table to remind me to look at it in the morning. I changed into my pajamas, and brushed my teeth, before I poured myself a glass of water, and set it on the night table as well. Every night when I went to sleep, I took some medication to help with my medical condition. It seemed to work, so I always made sure to take it.

After I shut the lights off in the rest of the house, I walked back upstairs, and shut the bedroom light off. The only light coming in was the gentle moonlight wafting in through the window. I sat on the bed, and picked up the glass of water. I put the pill in my mouth, and took a drink, flushing it down my throat.

…

...

What the _hell_ was wrong with that water? It tasted absolutely _awful_! I flicked on the light to look at the glass. Or what I thought was the glass. In actuality, I found myself holding an empty beaker.

Oh.

_Oh no._

I stood so fast, I nearly dropped the beaker.

I had just drank the compound. The one that was made _incorrectly_.

I stared at the beaker for a solid minute, trying not to have a panic attack. Then, I quickly ran to the bedroom door, and out into the hall, quickly making my way to the front door of my house. I needed to get to a hospital immediately! I bolted out the door, running as fast as I could towards the train station. There were a few night passenger trains running, hopefully I could catch one quickly.

I had to stop running after a few minutes, as my vision was starting to get blurry. My head was throbbing, and my whole body felt... _wrong_. I slowed to a walk, putting a hand to my head. I was sweating profusely! I saw a set of tracks in front of me, signaling I was almost to the station. I always had to cross one set of tracks to get there. I stopped right before them, as a sudden surge of pain in my head caused me to nearly collapse.

"_Aauuugh_!" I groaned, stumbling forward. I looked around, to find that my vision had turned dark. I could barely see a thing. My entire body felt like it was on fire, and under pressure at the same time. I crawled along the ground, feebly trying to make it to the station, but with another surge of pain, I collapsed completely, right on the railroad tracks. I was in such pain, I literally could not move.

My mouth tasted oily, my heart felt like it was going up in flames, and I couldn't feel the rest of my body anymore. I tried to turn my head, but found I couldn't even do that.

After another moment, my vision faded completely, and I felt myself fading. Right before I passed out, I remembered something.

Mistakes are something to avoid in science. They can change your life forever, and I felt as though I was about to learn that lesson directly.

* * *

Finally got another story idea, and boy is it an interesting one! This chapter is a bit shorter, but the next ones will be longer. This is why you take no chances in science like this. You never know what could happen!


	2. Chapter 2

I don't know when I woke up, but it was light out, so it must have been at _least_ ten hours later. I yawned, and looked around, before I remembered what happened.

"Oh _god_! I'm... I'm not dead..." I said, looking around. Dead, I was not. Fine, I was not either. It took me a moment to remember where I was. I had passed out on the railroad tracks, and thankfully, it would seem no trains came along while I had done so. But that did not explain the way I felt now.

For one, judging by my surroundings, I was at least seven or eight feet off the ground. I was not that tall. I tried to turn my head, but found I could not do so. I tried to turn my entire body, but I couldn't do that either! I couldn't even walk!

"What happened to me?!" I asked aloud as I then realized I couldn't even feel my body. I looked down as sharply as I could, and saw that I was directly over the railroad tracks, but I couldn't see my legs, feet, or anything. What I _did_ see was a small metal plow that looked like what you'd see on the front of a train. I also saw a large metal fist shaped knuckle below me, above the plow. I looked to my left and right, but couldn't see anything besides countryside in those directions. I tried again to do something, anything, but I couldn't. What happened to me?

"Help! _Someone_!" I called. I waited a few minutes, hoping this was all just a dream. What had my incorrectly made compound done to me?! I couldn't feel anything, couldn't move, and could barely see my surroundings!

After a few minutes, I heard something behind me. It sounded like a steam engine. The sound slowed, and then stopped as I heard someone clear their throat.

"S-Scusi Signore, but you are blocking the track. I don't want to be late." a female voice said. It sounded foreign. Not American, not English either. Regardless, it was someone. Hopefully they could help me.

"I can't move! Something is wrong with me! I need to get to a hospital." I called.

"A... hospital? You mean the Steamworks? If something is wrong with you, they can fix you there, although... they may not have much experience with an engine of your size." the voice replied. I was silent. Why would she have me go to the steamworks? That was for...

...

"Um... what do I look like to you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Signore, are you alright?" the voice asked. I huffed in frustration and paranoia.

"I'm not sure yet, would you _please_ just answer the question!" I said. I heard a wheesh of steam.

"Well, you're quite possibly the largest and strangest steamy I've ever seen. What are you? You don't look like a British locomotive." the voice said, a hint of curiosity present.

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. I'm going to pretend my compound didn't do what I was starting to think it did. Originally, the compound was supposed to make humans as strong and as durable as a machine.

If what I was starting to think the bad compound I drank last night did...

"Am I a train?" I asked, barely holding on to my composure. The voice behind me was starting to sound worried.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright Signore? Have you been damaged, or been in an accident? I cannot see in front of you. If you've been in an accident, you might be having temporary memory loss. Yes, you are a locomotive. The biggest one I've ever seen, and strange looking at that. Have you always been on Sodor? I've never seen you before." the voice said.

I had a response, but the panic I had been trying to hold in finally broke my brain, and I passed out again.

. . .

When I finally came to, I was once again in an unfamiliar setting. Several lines of railroad track laid out in rows, several dozen tools were all scattered about, and there were a lot of workmen about, although for some reason, a lot of them were staring at me. There were a some engine's present as well, most of which were looking at me. And last, there was a fat man in a black suit with a black top hat.

"Uhhh... yes?" I asked. A look of mild surprise appeared on all the engine's faces. There was a small red engine with yellow highlights, the same small green four wheel engine that had pulled the train that had taken me home last night, and a big green engine, all side by side on parallel tracks. The green engine in particular, aside from her wide eyed expression, also had a light blush on her face as she gaped at me. The other two just looked curious and impressed. The fat man stepped forward.

"Forgive us for staring, it's just that... who are you?" he asked.

"Andy Jenkins, scientist." I replied. All the engine's looked at each other, before returning their gaze to me. It was then I remembered what had happened.

"Oh Christ, this _isn't_ a dream, is it?! I've actually turned into a train! Oh god, I can't believe I screwed up so badly!" I exclaimed as it all hit me. No one seemed surprised at my outburst. The suited man cleared his throat.

"There are many, _many_ questions I have for you, Andy. But first, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Topham Hatt, the owner of this railway. Thus, it is my duty to accommodate any and all engine's that run on it, which you now are. Gina has told me of how she found you this morning, and how you seemed quite confused. From what I've had her tell me, and from what you've just said... I can only assume, for _some_ reason, that you're _not_ supposed to be a locomotive?" he asked. If I could have, I would have nodded. When I tried to do so, I heard a metallic groan, and I felt my face barely move up and down.

"No, not at _all_! I'm supposed to be a normal man, presenting his experiment at the Sodor Science Institution! You've got to do something! I don't want to be a train! I have a life to live!" I said. The man raised his hands, most likely in an effort to calm me down.

"Take it easy. I don't know what happened, but remaining calm will help everyone. Can you do that for me?" he asked. I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them.

"I can try, but no promises." I said. The man nodded.

"I must say I know next to nothing about science, but could it be something you did that resulted in... _this_?" he asked. I sighed.

"Yes. It was a mistake I made. I was working on a mixture of chemicals, and I made a bottle incorrectly. Then, due to exhaustion, I accidentally drank it. It wasn't supposed to do this. As soon as I realized what I had done, I ran to the train station, hoping I could get to a hospital, or something! I don't even remember what happened, besides passing out on the tracks!" I said.

"You're lucky you passed out and... transformed on the tracks, instead of in the field. Had you turned there, you may not have been found for a while. Why a train, though? What was your creation supposed to do?" he asked.

"It was _supposed_ to make a human as strong and as durable as a machine, but not any one machine specifically. I don't know why a train, of all things! It could have been something in the mixture reacting with the air of Sodor, full of train exhaust, or it could have been because I passed out touching railroad tracks, the only man made thing around the area. Without running tests and studies, I don't know anything!" I said. Sir Topham Hatt had no response to that.

The large green engine puffed forward. He had a number three painted on his side.

"So... what kind of engine are you now? I could barely push you here." he said. I raised my eyebrows.

"I don't know anything about trains, and have never really even had an interest in them. I don't even know what I look like, and if I did, I still probably couldn't tell you." I said. Sir Topham Hatt motioned to someone behind me, and two workmen brought a large mirror over, and faced it at me. My jaw dropped as I saw my reflection.

Whatever I was, I was _huge_! Tons of wheels, black and silver, and very long. I had two sets of eight large wheels, massive rods accompanying them. I had a two windows above my face, along with a large headlamp. As I saw earlier, I had a small plow with a large knuckle above it. But what really got me was my _face_!

I now had a square face, but it looked _much_ different than my original face did. I had two thick black eyebrows, two deep brown eyes, a normal looking nose, and a strong jawline. My chin was strongly chiseled, and there was even a small hint of what looked like stubble around my mouth and chin. I wasn't aware that engine's could have facial hair.

As I continued to stare into the mirror, I didn't even speak. Eventually, the mirror went away, and I looked back to the others, shock clearly present on my face.

"Well, I don't know what kind of engine you are, but you're certainly strong and unique. In fact, I've only ever seen one other engine similar to your design, but she's much smaller, and works on the Mainland. She only comes over here to deliver steel occasionally. I believe she's called a Cab-Forward. You appear to be the same, except much larger. Made in America, I believe. You're certainly the largest engine on the Island, and probably the strongest as well. So now I have to ask... what do you want to do?" Sir Topham Hatt asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean do you want to learn about being a locomotive, or something else? I can't honestly say I know anyone who is capable of turning you back, if that's even possible, and you certainly can't work with your chemicals like this. All I can really offer you is a job on my railway, I'm sorry to say. I don't really know what else to do. Trains weren't made to do anything besides run on rails. Do you know how to move?" Sir Topham Hatt asked.

"No idea. Although, now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little strange. I feel thirsty, but my throat isn't dry, and I feel hungry, but not in the normal way. I can't really feel my body, or anything that's not my face. I don't know what's normal and what's not normal to feel as an engine." I said. The small green tank engine, whose name was Gina, now that I read her side plate, moved forwards.

"You need someone to teach you how to be a locomotive!" she said. We all looked at her, unaware of where she was going with that statement. Sir Topham Hatt coughed.

"I agree with her, actually. You need to be taught everything on being a steamer, or else I'm afraid you won't be able to do much of anything. I can't say I know what being an engine feels like, so as far as I know, it might be like learning to walk all over again. But who to have teach you..." he trailed off, thinking.

"I'll do it, Sir." Gina said, smiling. Sir Topham Hatt looked at her for a moment, before shrugging.

"Alright, the job is yours Gina. Andy, was it? Hopefully you and Gina can work together to help you understand your new body. But first, we need to find out what kind of fuel you need." he said. Someone behind me shouted.

"Bunker fuel, Sir! Bunker fuel and water! A lot of it, judging by the size of this tender!" Sir Topham Hatt nodded.

"Right. I'll have to order a supply of it. I have enough for now, but if you stick around, I'll definitely need more of it. Henry, pick up a tank car or two and bring some fuel here please." he said to the large green engine. He looked at his watch.

"I have to attend some other duties, but rest assured Andy, I will do everything I can to make you welcome. I can't imagine what it's like, having such a big change, but I'll do my best to help you out. I will also do my best to try and find someone who knows exactly how this could have happened, and if they can reverse it." he said, before exiting the station. The red and yellow engine finally spoke up.

"My name is Victor, and I run the Steamworks. We've checked you over, and you appear to be in top notch condition, so once your fuel arrives, you should be ready to go. We're filling you up with water as we speak." he said. It was then that I did notice the strange feeling of thirst slowly going away. Victor chuffed off, leaving me with Gina.

"_Now_ I know why you were asking such strange questions when I found you. I apologize for being rude, Signore." she said, closing her eyes in shame. It was then I also realized that I didn't need to breath. I sighed, but found that I didn't need to inhale more air. It felt unnaturally wrong.

"It's alright, I understand your confusion. And please, call me Andy. Signore will get old quickly. No offense." I said. Gina blushed, and nodded slightly.

"Andy. Thank you for being kind. Since I'm going to be teaching you everything, is there anything you'd like to ask me?" she asked. I knew one question right off the bat.

"I saw you yesterday. You took me home in the evening. I've never actually seen you before. Are you a new addition to the railway?" I asked, figuring that, like most girls, they liked to talk about themselves. Her face brightened at my question, seeming to prove my point.

"Si, I am a new member. I've only been here a couple of weeks, and last night was my first passenger service. Did I do well?" Gina asked, obviously eager to see if she was satisfactory to the passengers. I forced a smile, because honestly, I wasn't really in the mood to be happy right now, but that won't stop me from being polite.

"It seemed fine to me. Honestly, I was so tired, you could have gone off the rails and I probably wouldn't have noticed. That's why I'm in this predicament in the first place. I was so tired, I drank the bad mix instead of my water. This entire thing is because I was careless." I said, looking down at the tracks I was sitting on. I let out a sigh, and some part of my metal body creaked at the movement. Gina put on a smile, and moved a little closer to me than I would have liked. Maybe engine's personal space is different from humans, I don't know.

"Well, I think you turned out to be a very nice engine. At least your not a diesel. I doubt you'd be getting this kind help and treatment if you were. I can't wait to see how strong you are once we get you moving. I bet you'll be the strongest engine on the Island!" she chirped. I had to smile a little at the thought. What I was now... was what I had always wanted to be. Strong and unique. But obviously, this wasn't how I pictured it. I wanted to be strong and unique because of what I _accomplished_, not because of who I was. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

"We'll just have to see, I suppose."

. . .

Soon enough, Henry came back with two black tank cars, apparently full of the stuff I would use to move. While it was being poured into my tender, I talked with Henry. Or, at least I tried to. He seemed rather shy and reclusive. Maybe it had something to do with my size, who knows?

After a while, my tender was full, and without any warning, someone lit my firebox.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed at the sudden feeling of heat inside of me. It was really hard to describe, honestly. I couldn't feel my body itself, but I could feel... the things going on inside? That's really the only way I can describe it. Anyway, after sitting for a while longer, I began to feel a pressure inside of me, kind of like what it feels like when you need to pass gas.

"I feel like I'm going to explode." I mentioned. Gina just smiled in understanding.

"That's your boiler pressure building up. You need the pressure to move. Judging by the size of your boiler, you probably have over three hundred pounds per inch of pressure inside of you. You're a big engine, and you need a lot of power to move. Especially with four compression boxes, instead of two." she said. I sat in my silent discomfort, although I wasn't in any actual pain. It just felt _weird_.

"Can engines actually feel pain? If you got into an accident, would it physically hurt?" I asked.

"Not physically, no. We don't really feel pain itself, but we get the feeling that something isn't as it should be. We know if we're damaged or something is broken, but it does not hurt us. Usually." she explained. I raised an eyebrow at her addition of the word 'Usually' but didn't comment on it further.

After around an hour of waiting, she decided I had enough pressure to move.

"You have to maintain your throttle and regulator while moving. If you feel yourself becoming tired, as it were, you need to ease up on the regulator, but keep the throttle down." she explained. I just looked at her like she was nuts. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Fine, we'll get to that later. For now, just try blowing your whistle." Gina said. My face contorted in effort, but nothing happened.

"How do I do that?" I finally asked. Gina looked troubled.

"I can't really explain _how_ to do it, it's just something engine's naturally know how to do. Is there anything humans usually do when they have pressure inside of them?" she suggested. I thought for a moment, before forcing my mind to think I needed to pass gas. I grunted in effort as I tried to apply force to something. Some mechanical part or piece. I could feel something inside of me, but it felt far back, at the end of my body. I focused on that feeling, and applied more effort.

Suddenly, without any warning, a loud low howling sound ripped through the air, startling everyone in the building, including myself. I quickly made it stop, hoping I hadn't broken something. But Gina was all smiles.

"Very good! You did your first whistle! A very beautiful whistle, at that. Definitely loud. Next time, I wouldn't try so hard. You don't want to break your whistle, or a steam valve. Try again, maybe with a little less force." she instructed. I repeated my efforts, but lightly, and after a moment, the same sound rang out, but it was quieter, and didn't sound so menacing.

"_Eccellente_! That sounded much better, and more natural. The hard part is remembering when you have to use your whistle. Roads, stations, signals, and more all require it. But, before you need to use any of that information, you have to be able to move. Your boiler pressure should be optimal by now, see if you can move forwards. Do not try to hard though, you don't want to move to fast or to quickly." Gina said. I focused, and tried to will myself forward, just as I would if I was walking, but nothing happened. I focused on the track ahead of me, and told myself to go to it, but I didn't budge.

"I... I don't know how to move." I said. Gina didn't seem surprised.

"It is never easy to move for the first time, although usually that's because our parts are new and not broken in yet. For you, it is because you weren't built with the knowledge of your body. Close your eyes, and try to focus on the pressure you feel inside you. Try to push it to your wheels, and will yourself forwards." she said.

I closed my eyes, and tried to feel the pressure in my boiler. I could still feel it, but I didn't know how to route it any more than I knew how to move gas that was trapped inside a human body. It had always just been something that occurred on its own. I tried to envision my mechanical body, metal and brass, and view my wheels turning.

"_Forward_." I whispered, barely audible. But still, I felt myself unmoving. After a few more moments, I opened my eyes again in frustration.

"I can't do it." I said sadly. Gina gave me a friendly smile.

"Don't feel bad, you'll get there. Perhaps if we had another engine push you while you were awake, you would get a sense of what it felt like to move, and then you could take over for yourself. We'll need to get at least two engine's for that, though. Henry could barely move you, and you'd need to get up to a decent speed to get a feel for movement. But for right now, let me explain a few more things about being a steamy to you." she said. She looked over my metal body for a moment.

"You're an articulating engine, so you must relax yourself when going around corners. If you're _not_ relaxed, your body will stiffen, so to speak, and you'll have trouble. When we finally get you moving, you'll have to learn how to take hills, and control your fuel consumption. If you don't go up a hill correctly, you'll use far to much fuel, and lose boiler pressure quickly. The equivalent of a human losing all of their energy by using it up to fast, I imagine." Gina said. "That is where your regulator comes into play. It will control how much fuel is being used, and how much pressure is being let into your compression boxes. You need it open to get going from a dead stop, but when you're up to speed, you need to close it, and save fuel. It takes less effort to maintain speed than it does to get going." she continued.

"Similar to jogging at a steady pace, instead of running a full on spring, I'd imagine." I replied. The only way I could really get an understanding of what she was saying was to try and compare it to some form of human body control, which wasn't always easy to do. I imagined that if I could still feel pain, my brain would be hurting by now. While it was used to processing information, especially advanced information, this was something else entirely.

"Can we take a break? I'm afraid if I learn to much to fast, I won't remember everything." I asked. Gina let out a cloud of steam from underneath her.

"_Certo_! That is a good idea. Nothing wrong with taking a break, especially from something like this. When Sir Topham Hatt gets back, I will suggest to him my idea of pushing you until you can control yourself. Would you like company, or would you prefer to be alone to clear your mind?" Gina asked.

"No, I don't mind you being here. Honestly, I think you're the only thing keeping me sane right about now. It really helps that you try to be so understanding with my situation, even though you don't know what it feels like. Thank you for being a friend, Gina." I said. I honestly believed what I said. Sometimes just having someone to help you through something can make it so much better.

Gina looked touched by what I had said, if her blush was anything to go by.

"So, tell me about yourself. You already know what's happened to me, and why I'm here now. Where are you from? You don't sound American or English. They're the only ways of speaking I can identify. But you sound like neither. Your use of the words _Signore_, _Si_, and more tells me you might be Italian, but I don't know for sure." I said.

"_Si_, I am Italian. I was transferred here from Italy a few weeks ago, because your Island needed more engine's, and I was one of the few who had been here before. I didn't really mind, because it's always good to be really useful. But... now I wonder if I'll ever get to see my home again." Gina said, looking a little sad. Unknown to her, I knew what she was feeling. I had left America a long time ago for the education and living space in England. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it from time to time.

"I'm from America, originally. That would explain why I'm an American engine. I moved here for the education opportunities and the open living space. I miss America, and my family that lives there. Now, I wonder if I'll ever be able to visit. I certainly can't now. Not like _this_." I said. Gina looked up at me, compassion in her eyes.

"I never even thought about that. Your entire life... is different now. Everything you once knew... is gone. Your family may never even know what happened to you, and even if someone tells them, they may not believe it. That's terrible." she said quietly. She moved forwards, and pushed two round things on her front... buffers, I think they're called... into my own set on my front. I was unsure of what this extremely close contact meant.

"Um... what are you doing?" I asked after a moment. Gina looked at me, before she blushed, and backed away.

"S-Sorry. Usually, when an engine is down, or something is wrong, their friends can kind of make them feel better, or that there's someone there for them, by pressing their buffers against the others. Kind of like holding hands, but for engines. I should have figured you wouldn't have known about it. I'm sorry." she said.

Man, things had certainly gone from normal and upbeat to depressed and awkward. Hoping to rid us of the mood change, I put on a smile.

"It's alright. I'm an engine now, I might as well get used to the customs of being one. Don't feel bad for doing anything engine's normally do around me. I'll just learn and observe." I said. Gina sighed.

"Well, still. I don't want to do anything to make you any more uncomfortable than you must already be. Tell me, what's it like, being an engine instead of a man? What feels different?" she asked.

"Honestly, everything. I can't feel most of my body, yet I have certain feelings within them, like the pressure, the heat from the fire, the thirst or hunger for fuel and water. It's sending me signals that a human would consider dangerous to their body, but I guess everything I'm feeling is normal for a locomotive. It will take some time to adjust myself to ignore the feelings." I replied.

"I don't really feel much. I mean, I've had whatever feelings for so long, I've gotten used to them. You will eventually too. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Gina asked.

Talk we did. For the rest of the day, I learned more about this railway, and Gina's home country. Eventually, the sun started to lower in the sky, and Sir Topham Hatt had not returned, so I hadn't moved all day.

"Your fire will go out eventually, and you should be able to sleep fine. If I can find him, I'll see if Sir Topham Hatt can get you an engine or two to help you move tomorrow. You can't be really useful just sitting in here all day!" she said. I smirked a little.

"Where do you sleep? Where do the engine's spend the night?" I asked.

"Well, I sleep in a small shed by the coach yard. The bigger engine's all stay at Tidmouth, and the rest sleep where ever they work. Once we get you moving, we'll have to find a place for you to stay. You could always stay with me, if you couldn't find anything else. I sleep alone, and company is always nice. Good night, Andy." Gina said, starting to reverse out of the building.

"I'll keep that in mind. Pleasant dreams, Gina." I called. She tooted her whistle as she chuffed off, leaving me to my thoughts. With her gone, I was forced to turn my thoughts back to my situation. I was no longer human. Instead, I was now an out of date machine with unimaginable strength, built to work and nothing else. I was now under the command of the railway owner, and I there was little I could do about it. I couldn't even make myself move.

If I could go back in time, and tell myself _not_ to make that infernal compound, I would. I'd rather give up my life of science than be in my current predicament.

Although...

I was being given a once in a lifetime opportunity here. Most likely, I would be the only person to ever know what it is like to be a locomotive. I'm sure there were those out there that wanted to be trains. People with life threatening diseases who wanted a second shot at life, rail fans, or maybe just people who wanted to be something different.

Maybe I should stop thinking about my situation so poorly. After all, there were _some_ pros to being a locomotive. I would probably be around a lot longer than I would be as a human, and I wouldn't have to deal with my medical condition anymore. I couldn't get sick, feel pain, or have to worry about money and food. As long as I was... what did Gina keep saying, _'Really Useful'_? As long as I was really useful, I'm sure I could keep myself around for a long time. And there were plenty of other engine's around. I'm sure I could be friends with them.

But... what of a mate? I certainly didn't find engines attractive, and there was no chance a human woman would want to be with me like this. I was a machine, after all. Built by man, to help man. Not to be a love interest.

As the lights shut off in the Steamworks, I told myself to keep thinking positively, and maybe things would start looking up soon.

As I had just learned, anything was possible.

* * *

Andy has a lot of learning coming his way. Learning to be an engine is like learning to walk and use your body all over again. Hopefully, is smarts will help him along, and Gina will be there to help him as well. Although... she certainly volunteered to be the one to teach him fast. I wonder why? Maybe she see's it as an opportunity to prove herself since she's new to Sodor. Or maybe she likes teaching? Or maybe... it's something else...


	3. Chapter 3

Something else I came to realize that night was that engine's don't dream. Most likely because they're not a natural being, such as humans are. The fact that they're built must have something to do with the prevention of dreams. But that doesn't mean my nightmares didn't start the moment I woke up.

I had a _lot_ of trouble sleeping, as I woke up what seemed to be a mere hour or two after I first closed my eyes. Let me tell you, the Steamworks gave off a _very_ creepy vibe at night. But it was also the fact that I couldn't _do_ anything about it. For example, if you wake up in your bedroom, although it is dark, you're still in a familiar place, and everything in the room is familiar to you. If it's too dark in a bedroom, you can just get up and turn a light on, or plug in a night-light.

I couldn't do anything now. I had no power to move, and even if I did, I still didn't know how to do it. The warmth I felt inside my body during the day was gone, so my fire had probably gone out. All I could do was look around the dark, empty Steamworks and try to remember that I was the biggest thing in the entire building, and nothing could hurt me even if it wanted to. I had never liked the dark. Probably just another nerd factor coming into play. I stared straight ahead, just wishing for some light. I imagined light emanating around me, pushing away the darkness.

Then, suddenly, without warning, there it was.

"_Jesus_!" I shouted in surprise as a bright beam of light suddenly pierced the darkness straight in front of me. Once I recovered from my initial shock, I looked in front of me to find a bright circle of light against the closed doors of the Steamworks. It looked like a giant flashlight, and it took me a moment to realize that I must have figured out how to switch on my headlamp. The entire building was lit up more, especially in front of me, with as powerful as my lamp was. It was made to light up track several hundred feet in front of me, I suppose. I looked around at what I could with the new light. Several tools and parts scattered around illuminated several shadows behind them as my light hit them, and would move slightly if I moved the little that I could.

I could only assume that the reason I could move at all was because of the suspension my wheels must have had. Perhaps I had control over all the moving parts of my metal body, mechanical or otherwise. I started to relax with my new source of light, but a moment later, the silence of the building was interrupted by a loud hissing noise, and I could barely see a white poof of steam appear from my left side. The moment I tensed, the hissing stopped, and the steam cloud vanished. I felt some of the pressure inside my body lesson, and a loud metal creak popped through the air.

If I was correct, I had just discovered how to release steam pressure from my boiler. I suppose although my fire had gone out at some point, the pressure would remain until it was released, or it wore off on its own. I tried to relax again, and after a moment, the hissing ripped through the air again. The white steam vapor filled the air, and I kept it going until I could barely feel any pressure left. The hissing stopped, and I felt better, per say. Most of the pressure was gone, and to me, from my human body memories, it felt better. The same way having a gas bubble in your stomach expelled felt better than holding it in. Perhaps that was the reason I was having difficulty sleeping. Maybe it was harder for engines to sleep when their boiler pressure hadn't been released.

I may not have known the answer to that question, but I _did_ know that I could feel my exhaustion catching up with me fast now that I could relax. I closed my eyes again, letting out a yawn in the silence of the Steamworks. I let my mind wander, and after a moment, I was a little surprised to find Gina come to mind. The one who was the first to see me in this form, and the one who was going to such lengths to help me. I was _extremely_ grateful for her.

I then thought about this Island. I suppose I would get to learn a lot about a whole other side of the place now. I had never paid attention to the railway side of this Island, which was a large factor of this place. It would be interesting to see what it was like to be on the industrial side of things.

Eventually, my thoughts began to thin out, and I felt the essence of the Steamworks fade, as I drifted off into another dreamless slumber.

. . .

The rattling of metal doors quickly pulled me out of my slumber. I opened my eyes to find the morning sunlight shining directly on me as the garage doors in front of me were opened for the day.

"_Agh_! Geez!" I groaned as I squinted my eyes in the light. I tried to move a hand to block the light, before remembering that I was a train. This was going to take some getting used to. While I could scarcely see, a voice reached me.

"Wow, they weren't kidding! You're the biggest engine I've ever seen!"

Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked in front of me to find a woman looking at me. She was wearing a blue uniform with a blue hat, and had a set of black gloves over her hands.

"Who're you?" I asked, yawning. The woman smiled.

"I'm Joanne, you're driver. Well, not driver as much as I'm your _maintainer_. I'll keep your fuel and water at correct levels, and keep your rods and bearings lubricated. Every engine has one, we just stay in the cab most of the time, so you don't usually see us. But your cab is at the front! That will certainly make things easier, and I'll be able to see so much more!" the woman chattered. I tried to tune her out, as it was far to early in the morning to be talked at this much. I didn't even know the time, but if the sun was just coming up, it could only have been six or seven.

I felt the presence of something inside me, and I realized Joanne had gotten into my cab. It was a bit of a strange feeling, having someone else inside me. Like a voice in my head, but instead it was a whole person. I felt the warmth of my fire return, and I guessed that Joanne had lit my fire. I looked back ahead of me, and felt a tinge of happiness when I saw Gina appear on the horizon. After a few more minutes, she stopped in front of me.

"_Buongiorno_ Andy! How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Not great at first, but then I figured out how to release my boiler pressure, and I was able to sleep better after that." I replied. Gina looked confused for a moment.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that! Yes, it's difficult for a steamy to sleep when their boiler pressure is high. I'm glad you were able to figure it out though. Is there anything else you figured out?" she asked. I flipped my headlamp on in response, but once I saw it was shining right in Gina's face, I turned it off.

"Sorry. But yeah, I learned how to turn my light on. Although I doubt I'll be going on any night runs anytime soon. I have to be able to move first." I said. Gina's face lit up upon my mention of movement.

"Oh, that reminds me! I found Sir Topham Hatt, and told him my idea of getting you moving. Two engine's should arrive soon to help with that. He also said your driver should be coming today." she said. I felt the sensation of something sticking out of my ear, but in the reflection of a piece of metal nearby, I could see it was Joanne sticking her head out of one of my side cab windows, waving.

"She's already here. I must admit, it feels strange having a person inside. Like a voice in my head, but different. Oh well, probably just another thing I'll get used to." I said. Gina nodded.

"You'll get used to everything eventually. Sir Topham Hatt also said if you move today, you can stay with me tonight. Although the structure I sleep under isn't nearly large enough to cover you completely, it's better than nothing! He said there isn't a shed large enough to cover your entire body and tender on the Island." she said. I raised by eyebrows. Just how large was I compared to most steam locomotives?

"Well, I'm glad you'll have me then. I can't say I enjoyed sleeping here alone. I'm not a fan of the dark." I said, somewhat embarrassed. Gina didn't seem to think what I said was anything to make fun of.

"Oh, I see. I hadn't thought of that. I hope you were alright. There are yard lights around my shed, as well as one in the shed, so that should help." she said. That did actually make me feel better. Before we could continue our conversation, there was a sound of whistle blowing, and two more engines appeared. A six wheeled blue engine with a number one on its side, and a large dark blue engine with a tender, the number 51 on his cab. They stopped on one of the tracks next to Gina, both of them looking at me with wide eyes.

"Magnificent..." the larger dark blue engine said.

"You remind me of Lexi!" the small blue engine said. That was the second time I'd heard mention of this 'Lexi' but I still had no idea who she was.

"Who are you two?" I asked, trying to be friendly. As I mentioned in the beginning, I was kind of an introvert, so I wasn't used to openly making conversation, unless it was something about science. Although, I seemed to be able to talk to Gina rather easily. Maybe because she was friendly, and the first to find me.

"I'm Thomas, and this is Hiro." the small lighter blue engine said.

"We're here to help you get moving. Sir Topham Hatt told us about what happened. We'd both like to ask you much, but I'm sure you've gotten a lot of questions already. Maybe after we get you moving, we can talk." the dark blue engine named Hiro said. I put on a smile.

"I don't see why not. I'm sure everyone will be curious about me. I don't know what happened for sure, but I can tell you what I do know." I said. Thomas looked down at my coupling, and his smile faded.

"Oh. Um, we might have to change your coupling. We use hook and chain here, not the knuckle coupling. They aren't compatible together without a lot of work." he went silent for a moment. "But, we could always push you from behind! You'd still be moving, and that way, if you gain control, we won't hold you back!" he suggested. I would have shrugged if I could have.

"Sounds fine to me. Will it be on level ground? I don't want to be moving, and not be able to stop if I start going down a hill." I said. Joanne stuck her head out of my cab.

"If it came to that, I could always apply your manual emergency brake. That's one of the reasons I'm here, is to help if you can't control yourself." she said. I found that acceptable, and agreed to the plan.

"Alright, give Hiro and I a few minutes to turn around, and we'll get you going." Thomas said as they both puffed into the building, out of my field of vision. Gina looked very excited.

"You're first time moving! It's so exciting! Tell me what it feels like! I bet it will be interesting." she said, practically bouncing on her springs. As I waited for Thomas and Hiro to get ready, I looked at Gina, spacing off. I had never noticed before, but her red wheels were large. Well, large for her size anyway. They certainly accented her body. Bright red with a thin white rim, a multitude of spokes evenly placed inside them. They _certainly_ attributed to her style and looks.

Suddenly, I snapped my eyes straight ahead. What was I _thinking_? They're just wheels. Nothing special about them! They weren't much different from the wheel of any other locomotive, other than size and visual looks. Why was I so fascinated with them all of the sudden?

My thoughts were scrambled as I got the feeling of slight movement as I heard a metallic clang of metal hitting metal.

"We're behind you! Ready to start pushing when you are! You're the lead engine, so you'll have to whistle at crossings and stations!" Thomas called. I looked to Gina, worry evident on my face.

"Don't worry, I'll chuff alongside you, and let you know when to whistle. You remember how, Si?" she asked. I nodded. She quickly moved behind me, and then appeared next to me a moment later, facing the same direction as I was. Must have been a turn table farther back in the building.

"Alright, I guess... I'm ready." I said, not really sure what to expect. I felt a pressure from behind me, and heard the sound of metal grinding on metal as Thomas and Hiro grunted in effort. Suddenly, there was a loud metallic groan, and I felt myself... begin to roll forwards! I looked down at the tracks I was on just to verify that I was, in fact, moving!

"I'm... I'm moving!" I said.

"You are! Slowly, at first. We want to give your parts a chance to warm up before we increase speed. Once we get out onto the main line, we'll go faster." Gina said. She looked genuinely excited for this moment. While I was slowly pushed out of the Steamworks onto a large horizontal sliding switch table, I tried to focus on what I was feeling. I could definitely feel my wheels turning, and again, it was sending me all the wrong signals. Well, they'd be wrong if I was still in a _human_ body.

It kind of felt like I was pedaling a bicycle, but with my hands, and if my arms and hands were around my stomach and waist section. That's the only way I can describe it.

"I can definitely feel something new. I'd describe it, but it's a human body thing." I said.

"Wait until we get up to a faster speed, and then see if you can take it over." Gina said. That brought a couple more questions into my mind.

"How will I know how fast I'm going? And how do I know what the fastest I can go is?" I asked. Gina slowed for a moment, clearly not expecting the question.

"Well, I can usually just kind of _feel_ how fast I'm going. After a while, you learn to just know, it's one of our senses. You'll learn it with experience, I suppose. For example, right now we're going ten miles per hour. You need to pay attention to the speed limit signs, and always follow them. Going even five over can result in derailment, especially for an engine your size. As long as you're pulling a freight train, or nothing at all, it's alright to go a little slower than the limit, just to be safe. But if you ever pull a passenger service, you must go as fast as you can to stay on time, and make sure your passengers get where they're going on time. As for your top speed... basically you'll just get the feeling or sensation that you just can't go any faster. Humans know how fast they can move, or get a feeling when their body can't be pushed any harder, Si? It's the same now. You'll know." Gina explained.

I listened carefully, as speed was an important factor in railway safety. I would have to try and learn my speeds as quickly as possible. I couldn't expect Gina to help me forever, or for however long I was stuck as an engine, if it wasn't forever. She had her own jobs to do, after all.

I felt our speed pick up, and we switched onto a long straight section of three tracks side by side. Gina was still next to me, her wheels whirring faster and faster.

"We're at forty miles per hour now. That's as fast as I can go. I wasn't built for speed, I'm mainly just a shunting engine. I don't know how fast you can go, but I bet it's faster! Hiro is directly behind you, if you can get going, see how fast you can go, and he'll keep up, relaying your speed to you!" she said. I focused on the track straight ahead, and tried to push myself on using my own power. I focused on the feeling of my wheels turning, and what must have been my compression boxes moving steam. I found a rhythm of the movement, and tried to increase it myself, keeping it going.

After a moment, the sound of heavy chuffing made itself known, and Gina's face lit up. The noise was loud, but I still managed to hear her.

"Less effort! Remember what you learned about your regulator!" she said. I nodded, and applied less force to my speed, while trying to maintain it. The chuffing lightened, but I did not feel myself slow. Gina nodded in approval.

"Try going faster! You might have to increase your regulator effort to do so, but make sure to pull it back once you get to the speed you want!" she said. I pumped my pistons faster, and judging from the fact that Gina was slowly trailing behind, I had increased my speed on my own! I could move!

I pushed myself faster, and after accelerating for another few minutes, got the same sensation you would get as someone running who couldn't push themselves harder. I had reached my top speed.

"How fast am I going!?" I called back to Hiro.

"Sixty five!" he replied. Sixty five miles per hour, for something that was as large as I am. That's impressive. Not only was I large, and thought to be strong, but I was also fast!

It was then the thought occurred to me that I hadn't been taught how to brake, even though I had mentioned it earlier.

"How do I _stop_?!" I called. There was a worrying silence for a few moments, before I could hear Hiro's voice call back to me.

"Try and slow the feeling of your wheels turning. Tense yourself!" he shouted. I did as he said, and tried to tense what I could feel of my body. I heard the sound of my chuffing flutter for a moment, and I tightened the figurative grip around my wheels. Suddenly, a sudden jerk went through me, and I heard the sound of metal scraping on metal, like nails on a chalkboard. I felt myself rapidly slowing, when suddenly, there was a loud _BANG_!

I suddenly jerked forwards for a moment, before my slowing resumed. I could feel a very dull sense of pain coming from far behind me, most likely at the back of my metal body. I continued to keep myself tensed, before I finally came to a stop. Although I didn't need to, I was breathing heavily. While the track I was on was still straight for a good long time, the feeling of not being in control was extremely scary.

After a moment, Gina pulled up next to me, concern on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked. I let out a breath.

"Yes. Yeah, I am. Just... a little rattled." I said. Gina looked down at the tracks.

"I should have taught you how to brake before you started moving. I am so foolish. You mentioned it, but I didn't think to teach you. I was to excited about getting you moving." she said. I looked at her, releasing a stream of steam from my left side. The steam hit her, and pooled around her body, before vanishing into vapor. Maybe it felt like someone putting an arm around a shoulder in comfort.

"It's not your fault. There's simply too much to remember all at once. I was able to stop, and some might say there's no better time to learn than in the moment. But, I felt something while I was braking. Felt something behind me. Did you see anything?" I asked.

"Hiro bumped you. He was following you closely, and wasn't prepared for you to brake so quickly." Gina said.

"Oh, Hiro, are you alright?!" I called behind me.

"I am fine. That is what buffers are for." he said. We heard Thomas catch up with us finally.

"You're a very fast engine! Not the fastest, but fast for a freight engine! I couldn't even keep up." he said. Gina finally calmed herself, and gave me my next instruction.

"The next step now is seeing if you can move under your own power from a stop. See if you can move again. We can't sit on the main line forever. Many services run on it, after all. We can pull into a siding, or pull into a yard when we reach one." she said. I looked at the track ahead of me, remembering the feeling of my wheels turning, and where it came from. I focused on that area, and tried to start the feeling again.

After a long moment, there was a metallic groan as my wheels slowly began to rotate forwards, steam hissing from my sides. I just noticed now _another_ feeling. It felt like something blowing on top of me, or out of me. It felt sort of like passing gas, but continuous.

"I feel something on top of me, like air escaping. What is that?" I asked as I slowly started moving forwards. Gina and the others stayed next to me, or behind me.

"Does it feel like it's pulsating in rhythm with how fast you're going? Does it increase or decrease with effort and speed changes?" Gina asked, looking at something on top of me. I focused on the feeling for a moment, before realizing that it did as she was saying. It seemed to keep a rhythm that would increase or decrease evenly, almost like a pulse.

"Yeah, it does. What is it?" I asked. Gina smiled.

"I believe it's your smoke-box. It's where all the exhaust goes before it gets released. I think what you're feeling is your smoke going through your funnel. Yours is in the back, but most steamy's funnels are in the front, like mine." Gina said, bringing my attention to her long, tall, _beautiful_ black funnel. A feather light trail of pure white poofing out of it, trailing behind her, before vanishing into the air. That funnel looked good on her.

I pulled my eyes away from Gina again, confused as to why I was starting to have these thoughts. First her wheels, as large, red, and beautiful as they were. And now, her tall funnel. Why would I care about any of that? It's just functioning parts of a steam engine, nothing more.

I finally got up to a steady speed, but still went slow enough so everyone could stay together. Apparently, aside from maybe Hiro, I was the fastest out of us four.

After what I guessed was a mile or so, I saw a road crossing approaching.

"Use your whistle here, when you're about seven hundred feet away. One long blast. You want to be close enough that others can hear you, but not close enough that they don't have the time to react, or move out of the way." she said. I waited until I thought the distance was right, before repeating what I had done yesterday in the Steamworks. A long, low blast escaped me, going in all directions. Once I stopped mine, Gina blew hers, and I realized I had never heard her whistle before. It accented her nicely. Good pitch and tone, not too loud. It made me wonder how a whistle is tuned. Maybe the shape of the vent, perhaps?

Once we passed the road crossing, we found a multi-track yard, and pulled in, giving me a chance to practice stopping a little more elegantly.

No such luck yet. I proceeded to do what I believe was lock my wheels up again, and slid to a stop, steam blowing out my sides. Gina stopped next to me, slowly and quietly.

"You'll need to practice stopping more gently. If you slide all the time, you will wear out your wheels and brake shoes faster. With as many of each as you have, it would take a while to replace or fix." she said. I nodded, and relaxed my body a little, easing my brake pressure. I could kind of get a sense of how hard my brakes were being applied, as it kind of felt like a tightened fist. The tighter it felt, the harder my brakes were being applied. When I couldn't feel anything, they were fully released. Gina seemed to be satisfied with my progress, regardless of the smoothness of my stopping.

"You've come a long way today so far. You learned to stop and go on your own, you know some of the places you have to whistle, and you can also use your headlamp. You're doing extremely well for only being an engine for two days." she said. I felt my face grow warm, and looked down at the tracks.

"My mom always said I was a fast learner." I said. Thomas and Hiro pulled up on my other side.

"Hiro and I have to get back to work. I'd like you to meet Lexi sometime soon, Andy. I think she'll be overjoyed to meet another Cab Forward, even though you weren't really meant to be one. I'll come and find you when I see her next. Just prepare yourself, she can be a little... _loud_." Thomas said, before chuffing away, Hiro behind him, saying his goodbye as well.

I looked up into the sky, unable to tell what time it was.

"There's a lot I'm still going to have to get used to. For example, I don't know what time it is. Is there any way engine's know?" I asked.

"Well, all the station's have clocks, so you can always read one if you see it. Otherwise, you can kind of get a feel by looking at the position of the sun, if it's visible. I think it's around ten or eleven, maybe. Let's take a break for a little while, and let your steam rebuild. You're getting good with your regulator, but I could still tell you were using more pressure than you needed to. You'll get better the farther you go." she said. I nodded.

The two of us took a moment to just relax, and I began to wonder what would be next for me.

. . .

I didn't have to wait very long. After maybe fifteen minutes, Gina vocalized her thought that maybe I should go and inform Sir Topham Hatt of my progress. He was probably keen on seeing what I could do with a load. I had to admit, I was a little curious myself.

I practiced starting and stopping a few more times in the yard, before Gina and I started looking for Sir Topham Hatt. We went to Knapford Station, the docks, which I had never been to, and even Vicarstown Station, which was the edge of Sodor. But Sir Topham Hatt wasn't at any of those locations. By the time we hit Vicarstown, it was getting into the evening, and I was getting tired.

"I'm surprised you were able to go so far since this was your first day of movement. Very impressive!" Gina said. I yawned.

"Thanks. I won't lie, I'm a bit tired now, though." I replied. Gina looked at the sun setting on the horizon, before she looked back to me with a moment of hesitation.

"W-Well, we can go back to my shed for the night, if you want." she said. The idea of sleep sounded appealing to me.

"Lead the way." I said, almost missing the faint blush on Gina's face. Maybe she had gotten a little to hot with all of our running around today. "Do you need water, or something? You're face is red. You're not overheating, are you?" I asked. Gina's eyes darted straight ahead, her blush increasing.

"Y-_Yeah_, maybe! It's been a while since... since I've gone this far this quickly! But I'll be fine. I still have enough water." she said. Again, I would have shrugged had I been able to.

"Alright, you know your limits. How far are we from your shed?" I asked.

"Oh, not far. Maybe a few miles. It's this way." Gina said, chuffing off down the line. I was quick to follow. I didn't want to get myself lost. I was not at all familiar with the rail route, and I was still learning about signals and whistling.

After switching off of the mainline, I followed Gina on a nice scenic side track, before we turned into a mostly empty coach yard. There were a few passenger coach's sitting there, but not many. A small structure was standing off to the side of the yard, mainly just a roof on four supports. Two tracks lead underneath it, and I assumed that was Gina's home.

Sure enough, she turned into it, and once the track had switched, I followed her on the other track. She stopped underneath the roof, as did I, although it probably barely covered half of my main body, not to mention my tender. But, it was perfect for Gina, and it was something to me, so I was perfectly fine with it.

As Gina and I released our boiler pressure, the steam intermixing before rising into the air, she yawned. It was a small yawn, a cute one at that. Once she finished, she looked at me, and noticed me watching her. She looked away quickly.

"S-_Scusi_, I didn't realize how tired I was." she said. I chuckled.

"I hear you. I didn't even know engine's could really get tired. I figured as long as they had fire in their boiler, they could keep on going." I said. Gina smiled slightly.

"We get tired just like anyone else. Our minds worked, and need rest. So, how was it for you today? Are you happy with your progress?" she asked.

"I am. I still think I could use some more experience, but I'm sure I'll get that tomorrow. I will admit, I am a bit curious to see what I can pull. If we find Sir Topham Hatt tomorrow, maybe he'll give me a job. I'm sure you'd like to get back to your own jobs, instead of doing nothing but staying with _me_ all day." I said. Gina strongly disagreed with that assumption.

"No, I don't mind being with you! I _like_ teaching you, and helping you! It makes me feel special! It's a chance for me to make a big difference since coming to the Island. _Technically_, I'm not even owned by Sir Topham Hatt yet. I'm on a trial period. If Sir Topham Hatt decides he wants a stronger engine, or doesn't need me, I'll go back to Italy. I can also go back if I decide I don't like it here, or miss home to much. A homesick engine isn't really useful. I will admit, I do miss Italia a bit, but... there are some things _here_ I would miss to." she said, looking at me.

"I suppose that's something you'll really have to think about. There's always a trade-off somewhere." I said. For some reason, Gina looked annoyed.

"It is true. I am thinking about it everyday." she yawned again. "Well, I'm going to rest Andy. See you in the morning." she said, closing her eyes.

"Sweet dreams, Gina." I whispered, leaving her to her respective silence.

Sleep took a little longer to arrive for me, so I looked around the yard for a little bit. It had gotten quiet out, and was dark enough for the yard lights to come on, so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about it being to dark now. I looked back over at Gina, who had a single dull yellow bulb lit over her from inside the shed, casting a beautiful yellow glow on her. It kind of made her look like... like an angel, or something.

Perhaps it was destiny she was sent here from Italy. Maybe she was sent here just to help me adjust to my new life. I doubted any other engine could have helped me better than she could have.

I found myself hoping that if I did get a job tomorrow, she would be enlisted to help me with it. I wasn't sure if I was ready to try it alone yet. Only time would tell.

* * *

So Andy has successfully learned how to start and stop, as well as many other useful things. He's met Thomas and Hiro as well. Although, he seems to be having some interesting thoughts running through his mind, specifically aimed towards a certain green shunter. Perhaps his mind is slowly changing, to get him used to being an engine. His thoughts, his feelings, and perhaps... even his _tastes_.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a whistle.

"_Gah_!" I exclaimed, looking around frantically. My gaze settled on Joanne standing in front of me, and then I looked to my right, and saw Gina giggling quietly.

"Oh man, you should have _seen_ your face! Haha! _Priceless_!" Joanne cackled.

"Yeah yeah, real funny. I'll get you back. Joanne, don't forget you have to ride with me. I can make your ride bumpy, and _Gina_..." I hesitated, turning my gaze to her. She stopped giggling, and looked at me innocently, pulling some god awful puppy eyes that _apparently_ engine's can do. After a moment, I blushed, and looked away.

"Can you just... get me warmed up?" I stammered. Gina resorted back to her normal face, a small giggle coming from her. Joanne just gave me a smirk, and walked to my side, before climbing into my cab. I felt my fire light, and while I waited to get warmed up, I started wondering what I would do today.

"Do you think I'll be given a job today?" I asked.

"It's hard to say. When we find Sir Topham Hatt, I'll certainly give him my approval. You've gotten pretty good, especially with all the running around we did yesterday trying to find him. Just work on your stops a little more, and maybe your regulator, and you'll be fine. Practice makes perfect!" Gina chirped. She was right, the more I practiced, the better I would be.

After the long wait of my boiler warming up, Gina slowly chuffed forwards, and I followed. Her shed was open on both sides, so it could be entered and exited from any direction. We reached the edge of the yard, and came to a stop, waiting for the signal to turn green.

"Signals are like traffic lights for cars, they must be obeyed. Even if you can't see anything ahead, that doesn't mean it's safe. It could be signaling that a switch is incorrectly set, or that something happened up ahead. It won't always be red just because there's another train in front of you. And you always have to keep looking ahead as far as you can. With the size of loads you'll be pulling, you won't be able to stop quickly. I will recommend to Sir Topham Hatt that you have a brake van on all your loads. If anything, it will help keep the tension on your consist." Gina said. The signal switched to green, and we pulled out onto the main line, our smoke rising into the cool morning air.

I had to tell Gina to slow down once or twice, she was so excited. Although I was faster than she was, she was a lot quicker. Granted, she was like, eighty percent smaller than I was, so compared to me, she weighed next to nothing. I was curious to find out what her weight actually was, but even _I_ knew that you don't ask a girl their weight.

"Make sure to call Sir Topham Hatt _Sir_. It's a sign of respect and the fact that he's our boss." Gina told me. I nodded, and we continued our way to Knapford in silence. I was still getting used to waking up so early. Most of the railway woke up as soon as the sun starting peeking over the horizon. That was a bit earlier than I was used to.

When we finally arrived, Gina and I blew our whistles as we pulled into the station, letting all the passengers who were waiting for their trains that there were active engine's around them. It was then that I discovered something else I hadn't really been expecting.

The attention I would get.

Partially because I was a _new_ engine on the Island, and also because I was the _largest_ on the Island. As Gina sat on the track next to me, several dozen adults and children came over on the platform I was sitting next to, some with cameras or cellphone's. They stayed well enough back, as I was probably generating quite a bit of heat with my boiler, but they were still closer than I was used to. Some of the kids came up to me personally to smile at me, or say hello. I just awkwardly greeted them. Nobody told me I'd be getting attention like this! You'd think I would have just been expecting it, but I honestly hadn't thought about it.

I looked to Gina, nervousness clearly visible on my face, and she just smiled, and looked back at the kids.

"Humor them." she whispered so only I could hear. I looked back at the children and their parents, and smiled. I released a trail of steam, and I could hear the snapping of cameras like a swarm of bees. One child in particular walked up to me, his parent behind. He looked shyly up at me, he parent gently urging him towards me.

"C-Can I hear your whistle, Mister engine?" he asked quietly. I heard Gina 'awwww' at the child's request, and I had to admit, it was cute. I gave him a kind smile, and opened up my whistle gently, so it wouldn't be full volume. At the sound of the howling tone, the child's face lit up like it was Christmas. I decided to get a little fancy with my whistle, and varied the pressure so it would change pitch and tone, finally ending it off in a low wail before stopping it.

By the time I had finished, I realized the only thing I had done was garner _more_ attention to myself. Realization of that must have been evident on my face, as Gina just laughed.

. . .

_Finally_, all of the people that were interested in me dispersed, and Gina and I were left alone.

"It seems all the children _love_ you!" Gina said gleefully. I looked at her tiredly.

"You could have told me I'd be so popular! I'm not used to having that much social interaction all at once!" I said breathlessly. Gina just smiled.

"Andy, you're an engine now. _All_ of the kids love engine's. We're big, strong, and cool to all of them. Some bigger and stronger than others, obviously. And you're new to the Island, as far as an engine goes. Of course you'll be popular for a while. It also depends on the engine's looks. You're a very, _very_ handsome engine. There is no end to pleasing the rail enthusiasts. You'll get used to it after a while." she said. I was going to reply, but a loud, booming voice stopped me.

"Ah, Andy and Gina! I've expecting you two!" I pulled my eyes away from Gina to look at the platform, where Sir Topham Hatt was standing, smiling grandly at the both of us.

"Good morning, Sir!" Gina said. She glanced at me, wanting me to do the same.

"Morning, Sir." I said, looking back at Sir Topham Hatt. He walked towards me.

"So, how are you doing, Andy? Is Gina teaching you well? You're here, after all, so you must be making progress!" he said. I nodded.

"Gina is a wonderful teacher, and I believe I could also call her my first friend on the railway as well. I have enjoyed my time with her, but I assume you're going to have her back on her normal duties now?" I asked. I won't lie, I would be a little sad of Gina had to go back to her usual duties and I wouldn't be able to see her anymore.

"Actually, I have one more job for you and Gina. There's a long line of freight that needs to be taken to the far side of the Mainland, and I need a strong engine to do it, along with a shunter to organize the cars once they arrive. I believe you and Gina should be able to get the job done." Sir Topham Hatt said. I perked up immediately, at both the fact that I finally had something to do, and I could do it with Gina.

"Oh, thank you Sir! I can't wait to see what I am capable of pulling." I said. Sir Topham Hatt smiled.

"I'm sure you can't. Why don't you go and refuel, while I talk to Gina. There's a fueling station at the end of the yard. After that, go to the end of the long line of cars in the yard, and couple up to them. I want you at the front, behind Gina double heading. The yards-man will help you couple to the cars. He has an adapter ready so you can hold onto our coupling." Sir Topham Hatt said. I blew my whistle, and exited the station, before pulling into the fuel station.

While I was waiting for my fuel to be topped off, I saw a very long line of freight cars sitting on one track. It must have been at least sixty cars! I didn't know if I could pull that much, even with Gina's help! Granted, the cars were all small, but still!

Once my bunker fuel and water had been topped off, I went down to the end of the yard, where a chunky man in overalls was waiting.

"So _you're_ the big 'un they got to haul this lot, yeah?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes Sir, me and another engine. I'm supposed to couple up first, with her in front of me. I'll need some assistance with the coupling though. I was told there was an adapter for me?" I said. The man nodded.

"Yessiree, it's already been fitted to the lead car, so you just back on up and we'll getchya all attached. Just make sure you're goin' real nice n' slow." the man replied. I pulled forward ahead of the track, and once it was switched, I slowly began to reverse backwards.

"I'll keep you posted on the distance!" Joanne called from my cab. I reversed slowly for a minute, before she began calling out numbers.

"Slow it down now, fifty feet away! Forty! Thirty! Twenty! Ten!" I slowed to a near stop, and after a moment, I felt a _thunk_ as I abruptly stopped.

"Real nice, that was. Let us make sure the adapter is attached to both ends right, then once the other engine gets here and couples to you, you'll be good to go. In the mean time, we have to put an adapter on you so you can attach to the other engine." the man said, bringing over a large metal piece. It attached to my knuckle coupling, and had a hook and chain on the other end. Simple enough, but it also looked strong. Once it was coupled and bolted on, the man nodded.

"Good stuff. Once she hooks up, and your signal changes, head on out. Ya'll know where it is your goin'?" the man asked.

"Far side of the Mainland?" I said. The man nodded.

"Yup. If'n ya'll get lost along the way, which would be pretty hard to do, considering as long as you stay on the Mainline, you'll be fine, stop at the Steelworks factory. They'll help ya get back on route. Friendly engine's, if not a bit strange. One of 'em looks like you a bit, 'scept she's smaller." the man said. I wondered if that had been the Lexi Thomas had told me about earlier.

Gina pulled up alongside me at that moment, and I was expecting her to say something about me getting coupled up without her help, but she was unusually silent. I looked at her, and she just had a one thousand yard stare on her face, looking off at nothing.

"Gina? Are you alright?"I asked. My voice seemed to snap her out of her trance. She blinked a few times, before she looked at me.

"H-Huh? O-Oh. Yeah, I'm f-fine. Wow, you got hooked up already? Well done." she said. She might have said that, but she didn't sound as... _enthusiastic_ as she usually did about my progress. I hope her talk with Sir Topham Hatt didn't result in anything bad. I wanted to ask her, but I figured it was something personal, if he didn't tell her in front of me.

It was a strange sight to see the backside of an engine coming towards me, one that was going to intentionally hit me. I mean, not _hit_ me hit me, but couple up. You know what I mean.

When Gina's buffers gently pressed into mine, a man came up with a hook on a long pole, and moved her coupling chain to be around the hook on my adapter.

"You're good to go! Have a safe trip!" he said. Gina and I blew our whistles. I assumed this load was going to be very heavy, so I started forwards with all the effort I could muster. Not only did I bump straight into the back of Gina, but I also let my first of my two sets of drivers slip for a moment.

"_Ooh_!" Gina shouted as I bumped into her, pushing her forwards. I immediately backed down, letting my wheels regain their grip.

"Sorry! I thought this load would require a full steam start! I don't know how you're going to be starting." I said. I couldn't see Gina's face anymore, but I could still hear her speak.

"It's alright. This is not only your first job, but your first heavy load, and your first experience double heading as well. Just remember, I'm only along to help sort these out when we arrive. You're the one with the pulling power on this trip. Don't push over forty miles per hour, though. I'm not built to go faster than that." she said. We started pulling the load again. When I felt Gina pulling on my front coupling, I started pushing myself forwards, keeping a slight amount of tension on both of my couplings.

We started moving forwards slowly, as the speed limit was low in the yard. Our signal was green, so we made our way out onto the mainline, heading for Vicarstown bridge. Gina said it was the only way for rail to get to the Mainland. As I focused on keeping my steam up, the clickety-clack of the bogey's going over the track switches filled the air.

Eventually, I heard Joanne speak.

"You've cleared the yard! Bring it on up to forty! We need to keep a steady pace if we want to deliver these goods on time!" she said. I felt Gina tugging on my coupler again, so I pushed harder, the chuffing coming from my compression boxes growing louder. I could see Gina's smoke trail increase as she applied all the effort she could in assistance. My own smoke trail must have been quite large, if the feeling of it escaping was anything to go by.

"So, what do you usually do here? I know I saw you pulling those two coach's the night before I turned. Do you usually run a passenger service?" I asked, hoping that silence wouldn't fill the air for the entire trip.

"I run passenger sometimes, but usually so far I've been enlisted to pull small goods trains, or just move cars around in the sidings. I'm just a little engine, Andy. There's only so much I can do." Gina replied.

Now, I wasn't an expert on moods, but I didn't take Gina as one to talk herself down. Ever since she had talked with Sir Topham Hatt, her entire mood had seemed to shift.

"Gina, is everything alright? I didn't do anything to upset you, did I?" I asked. I felt Gina shudder slightly through our attached couplings.

"No Andy. You didn't do _anything_. Don't worry about it." Gina said.

I also noticed then that she hadn't been using Italian words occasionally like she had been. Something was definitely on her mind, but again, I didn't want to ask what. Just from asking if she was alright, she seemed keen on insisting she was fine. I didn't want to upset her by pushing her.

I just hoped that the delightful green engine I had become friends with over the past few days would show herself again. I found the thought of her not being happy bothersome.

As we approached Vicarstown Station, silence once again took over the air between us.

* * *

What could Sir Topham Hatt have talked with Gina about to cause her mood to shift so suddenly?


	5. Chapter 5

Going over the Vicarstown drawbridge was quite something. I never wandered close to the edge of Sodor as a man, because I never even thought about leaving, so I had never seen it before. The signal was for the bridge was green, which meant there were no approaching ships, so we traveled right across, the long line of freight cars trailing behind. Gina was still being quiet, so I just took the time to take in the scenery.

Despite the long line of cars, I was still feeling good. I still wasn't used to the idea that engine's don't really have stamina, as much as it's as long as they keep their fire and boiler pressure up, they can keep going. It felt strange for me to not be getting tired, or even a little bit exhausted.

After the bridge, grassy green fields and clusters of trees went off to the horizon on both sides of the tracks as the sun went higher into the sky, giving the whole area a bright feel.

"How far into the Mainland have you ever been, Gina?" I asked after a while, hoping to break the silence.

"Not very far. Usually it's only the large freight engine's, like you, who go deeper into the Mainland. The only passenger service's that go from Sodor to the Mainland are pulled by Connor and Caitlin. They're two American Streamliners, both very fast. Other than that, it's just usually freight going back and forth. Sometimes the Flying Scotsman stops at Vicarstown from the Mainland, but he doesn't usually go farther than that. I've actually been to Bridlington yard on the Mainland, but that was for the Great Railway Show. I still lived in... Italy. Back then, anyway." Gina replied.

I looked past Gina as far as I could, down the tracks.

"I've never left Sodor as a man. I never really felt the need to. I usually had all my chemicals and equipment shipped to me from the rest of the world. I preferred to stay home and work on my experiments." I said. After a moment, Gina responded.

"So, tell me again why you were trying to turn yourself into a stronger human?" she asked. I thought back to that day. I will admit, some things were starting to get a little more difficult to remember back from my human life, but I wasn't sure why.

"Well, it would just be an improvement. I never meant to test on myself, that was an total accident. And even if I had been going to test it on myself, I would have used the other bottle. I knew something was wrong with the one I ended up drinking. Anyway, it would basically just have helped those with medical conditions, or fragile body's. It would have strengthened bones, immune systems, and even maybe mind's. I started noticing recently that my mind seems to be changing a little bit. Probably to help me become more engine than human. I've found it increasingly difficult to remember things from my life as a man, especially the farther back they are, and I've also noticed I'm seeing things as an engine much differently than I would as a man." I said.

"What kind of things?" Gina asked, a very small tinge of excitement in her voice.

"Well..." I started, feeling a slight blush come to my face, "I've started thinking about certain... _aspects_ of other engine's differently. Things I wouldn't have even thought twice about as a man I find myself unable to not notice now. It took me a little while to figure out why I was having certain thoughts about them, but then I realized what my mind was doing. It's... well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think I'm starting to find things on certain engine's... _attractive_, just as a human man would find certain things about a human female attractive. What do engine's notice about each other?" I asked, hoping the question wasn't awkward. Gina was quiet for a moment, and it was then I really wished I could see her face. I wasn't sure if she was disgusted at the question, or what.

"It depends on the gender of the engine, probably the same way it depends on the gender of human. Female engine's find aspects like overall size, strength, sound, and color noticeable on male engine's. The size of their body, wheels, boiler, and tender. How much they can pull, and how their whistle sounds. What their face looks like, and the color doesn't always make a difference, but sometimes a certain color can highlight an engine well. And a strong, handsome face is always a plus. As for what male engine's look for... I can't say for sure, but from things I've seen, and heard before, I think male's look for wheel size, facial beauty, funnel size, coloring, and whistle tone in a female engine. Maybe what the female's voice sounds like as well." Gina replied, before adding, "Why? Have you found yourself thinking certain things about... certain engine's?"

The question sounded innocent and simple enough, but... it also sounded like she wanted a specific answer. I had started to notice some of those things about her, like her beautifully tall funnel, or her large red wheels, and her face was... _very_ pleasing to the eye. But if I told her I was starting to have thoughts like that about her, it might drive her away. So, I decided to tell her this instead:

"N-Not really, I've just... noticed a few things at a glance about a few engine's as they've gone by. Like, 'oh, those wheels look nice', or 'that whistle sounded nice'. Stuff like that." I lied. I felt a smack from inside my cab, and I could only assume it was Joanne. Why she had done it, I didn't know.

At my answer, Gina was fairly silent.

"Oh. I see." she had said, silence following. We traveled for another twenty minutes in silence, before she finally spoke up again.

"I'm going to need to stop at the next coal station to refuel. I don't hold much coal or water, so I'm going to need to refuel a few times at least each way." she said. We turned off into a small siding at the next switch, and Gina's driver uncoupled her from me so she could move forwards to refuel. While I waited, I heard Joanne speak from inside my cab.

"I don't know _who_ you think you're fooling, Andy. You might have _been_ a man, but you said it yourself. Your mind is changing to help you be an engine, and that includes how you see others, Gina specifically. I've seen how you look at her on occasion. She might be your friend, but I think you want her to be more than that. You may not realize it in your head yet, but I think your heart knows what it wants. You can't always think with your brain. Sometimes you've got to follow your heart, and let it do the thinking." she said quietly, so only I could hear.

"I agree my mind is changing, but I don't think of Gina as anything more than a friend. I just met her a few days ago. I don't even know what she's really like. You can't define someone in a few days." I said. Joanne chuckled.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself. Your heart will take over when it needs to." she said. I sat silently while Gina finished her refueling, and then she re-attached herself to me.

"Do you think you'll need to stop and refuel at any point, Andy? Water towers are not a problem, but there aren't many bunker fuel stops along the Mainline. There's a Steelworks I think somewhere along the route that has a bunker fuel station. I would advise stopping there and refueling, just to be safe. If you run out of fuel, we're stuck." Gina advised. I nodded.

"Agreed. It's better to be safe than sorry. The man back in the yard told me about the Steelworks. He said there was an engine there that looked like a smaller version of what I am. I'm kind of curious to meet that engine. Maybe they'll be able to tell me what I am, and why I was designed like this. If I'm going to be stuck in this form, I would at least like to know all I can about it." I said, gently pulling the long load forwards again.

It took a few minutes to build up a good amount of momentum, as accelerating to quickly would use up a lot of pressure. But, after a while, we were hauling at what my subconscious was telling me was thirty five miles per hour, more or less. We crossed a large stone bridge that crossed a small river, and I noticed some large grassy green hills on the left, with some cobblestone buildings standing at the bottom. A couple time's, an engine with a load would pass the other way, and almost every time, the engine would be gawking at me in curiosity. It was kind of weird to be so noticed, but I stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other engine's around here.

We slowly made our way along, until we came to a small abandoned siding, that led through what looked like an abandoned industrial yard. There were cogs and gears strewn about, along with many other miscellaneous parts that looked as if they belonged to a Steam Locomotive. I saw a water tower and a coal hopper on one of the tracks.

"We should refuel, or, you should, at least. I'll make it to the Steelworks. Top off, if anything. The distance given to the Steelworks could be wrong, you never know." I suggested.

"Good idea. Although... I don't want to stay here long. This place makes me uncomfortable. I wonder why the track was switched this way instead of keeping to the mainline?" Gina said. We pulled up to the coal bunker, only to discover that it was empty, unfortunately. The water tower still had water in it, thankfully.

"Oh well. Water is better than nothing. I should still have enough coal for a good while, anyway, since you're doing most of the pulling." Gina said. Once her water tank was full, the rest of the tower's contents were poured into my own tender, and then we started off again. The abandoned yard led back to the mainline, thankfully, so we didn't end up getting lost. After another short while, Gina spotted what could only have been our next stop, the Mainland Steelworks.

A series of _massive_ buildings loomed overhead, a large logo on the tallest and center-most one showing three steel beams, the letters "M.S.C." above them. We traveled along the outskirts of the buildings for a while, before there was a track that ventured off of the mainline, through an open gate, and went towards the factory. We slowed our train, and turned into the Steelworks.

Once our long line of freight cars was off of the mainline, and not blocking the gate, we came to a stop, both Gina and myself releasing a large pent up cloud of vapor. Joanne stepped out and unhooked me from the load, and Gina's driver unhooked her from me. The moment I was unhooked from the load, I felt a lot lighter.

"Wow, I feel a _lot_ less restrained." I observed out loud. Gina smiled a little, having turned herself around to face me. It felt nice to see her face again, after staring at her back for so long. But something about her expression still looked off.

"The first load always feels the strangest. I remember the first time I pulled something, I didn't think I'd be able to do it. I hadn't learned yet how strong steam really was." she said. Before I could respond, a voice came from my left, Gina's right.

"_Whoa_! Who are _you_?!"

I looked over and saw a... very interesting engine. I immediately wondered if it was Lexi, because the engine did have a design similar to myself, although much smaller. This engine was positively covered in rust spots, and the old faded paint showed signs of a turquoise tone. I looked to Gina, who was still looking at the engine, then at me, then back to the engine again.

"She looks like you." she whispered after a moment, just so I could hear. It also seemed that the engine had figured that out as well.

"Wait... are you a Cab-Forward?! You... you can't be! I thought _I_ was the only Cab-Forward. My design didn't go over well at all!" the engine said, chuffing closer. At the closer range, I could definitely tell her face was feminine.

"Lexi?" I asked. The engine stopped abruptly.

"You know my name?"

"It would seem so. I was told my a few on Sodor that there was an engine on the Mainland that looked kind of like me. My name is Andy." I said. Having gotten over her initial shock, Lexi smiled.

"Well hi! Sorry for... being so surprised, but I'm a failed experimental engine. I thought I was the only one of my design. I was an experimental engine, built in the early 1900's." she said.

"Well perhaps your experimental design helped me be what I am now. I uh... I don't actually know _what_ I am. It's a bit of a story, but let's just settle with some long term memory loss. Can you tell me what I am?" I asked. Lexi looked behind me, at my tender, presumably.

"Well, you're tender is blank _now_, but you're definitely American. Southern Pacific was the one to try the Cab-Forward, so maybe you come from that line. Did you say you come from Sodor now?" Lexi asked. I nodded.

"Yes. We're running a heavy freight train from Sodor to the far side of the Mainland. We both need fuel, and I need water as well. Can you help with that?" I asked. Lexi smiled.

"Oh sure! All of the other's are out currently, but I can show you the refueling station! Do you burn oil, like I do?" Lexi asked.

"I uh..." I looked at Gina, who looked slightly amused at my conversation with Lexi. She noticed I was looking at her, and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I do. Oil, and water, I guess." I finished.

"And I need coal, per favore." Gina added.

"Of course! Right this way!" Lexi said, reversing down her track towards the side of the yard. There were two large tanks there, along with a water tower and coal hopper.

"Andy, the second tank is for you. The first one is diesel fuel. The water tower and coaling station is right next to it." Lexi said. I pulled up next to the second tank, and Joanne made herself busy with hooking up the hose on my tender. Gina pulled under the coal bunker, which was directly next to the second tank, bringing us mere inches apart from each other. Gina's face was quite literally _inches_ from mine, our buffers nearly touching. As she looked at me with her... absolutely beautiful eyes, I felt the pressure inside me rise a bit.

The second my eyes met Gina's, she looked down, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

"W-We should keep going, a-after we refuel. We don't want to be late." she said. I found my voice, which for some reason had tried to hide itself, and nodded.

"Alright. You're the boss." I said. Gina looked at me in confusion.

"_Me_? But _you're_ the bigger engine." she said.

"Yeah, so? You're the one with more experience. I'd probably have gotten lost by now without you. I'm very glad Sir Topham Hatt let you come with me." I said.

"R-Really? I'm just here to shunt..." Gina whispered. I was sick of hearing her _berate_ herself, and decided to finally say something.

"Gina, look at me." I said. She did so. "I've spent most of my life staying inside, working with my experiments. That's all I really knew. I never thought I could do more than that, because that's all I had ever done. I'm learning now that I could do much more than I thought, and I probably could have even if I was still a human. But I wouldn't have learned that without _you_. If you hadn't been here to help me with this transition, I... I don't know what I'd be doing, or where I'd be. You can do a lot more than you're currently giving yourself credit for. I mean, I was skinny and short as a human, but look at me now. I'm literally the _biggest_ engine on the Island. Maybe that engine was inside of me all along, and I just didn't know it. I think you have a big, strong engine inside of _you_ as well, who can do a lot more than just shunt. I'd like to see that engine in you, and I think it's ready to be seen, if you'd stop holding yourself back, and talking yourself down. Don't talk yourself down, you don't deserve it." I said.

Both Gina and Lexi were just gaping at me. Lexi quietly cleared her throat.

"I uh... I think I have some... _slag cars to move. Bye!_" she said, before rapidly chuffing off, just leaving Gina staring at me. She looked down at the tracks after a moment, and then met my gaze again.

"Do you _really_ believe that?" she whispered after a moment. I put a gentle smile on my face, and nodded.

"I do. I was bullied a _lot_ in school because of my size, and my hobbies. You can't do much about _others_ bullying you, but you can _certainly_ do something about you bullying _yourself_. Physical size means nothing, but the size of your mind, and your spirit does matter. You can do anything you believe you can do." I said.

Gina squeezed her eyes shut, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks. I wanted to do nothing more than wipe them away, but sadly, as an engine I couldn't.

"I've... always felt bad about my size. I don't usually get any good jobs because of how small I am, and I don't... get much respect from any of the other engine's because they don't think I can do much. I've... let that get to me, and convince me that it was true." she said, as she looked at me with tear filled eyes. I pushed my front buffers into hers.

"It doesn't matter _what_ you're doing, or _when_ you're doing it. Any job, be it big or small, is _helping_. And helping is always... _always_ really useful." I said. Gina looked up at me for a very long time, before she looked down at the ground, and a few more tears fell.

"I can't do this anymore, Andy! I just... _can't_!" she said, beginning to cry.

"What? Can't do _what_?" I asked, not sure of what she was talking about. Gina looked at me, her face twitching as if she was trying not to lose her entire composure.

"_This_! _You_! _Me_! I just..." she inhaled again. "Look, Andy... I'm going back to Italy. That's what Sir Topham Hatt wanted to talk to me about while you were hooking up to the load back on Sodor. _That's_ why I've been so quiet and out of it! He doesn't need me on Sodor, not with you around! He only needed one engine, and you're far more useful than I am! So... he told me when this load was delivered, I'm to go to the Sodor docks, and be loaded onto a ship, bound for home. He did... he _did_ say that if I absolutely wanted to stay, then... then I could. But I miss my home a _lot_, Andy! There was _one_ thing I would stay on Sodor for, but it's not _happening_!" she said, her tears freely flowing now. My jaw had dropped as soon as she had mentioned going back to Italy.

"W-What? What hasn't happened?" I asked.

"_Us_! Us hasn't happened!" she sobbed, blushing through her tears. "Look, Andy... I like you. A _lot_. It just started out as a physical attraction, because you're a big, strong engine, and you're _very_ attractive. B-but, after a day or so, after we spent some time together, a-and I learned the _real_ you... it grew to be more than that. You're a very kind, understanding engine, who sees us all equally. I... I _tried_ to drop hints, or try to get you to think about me as often as I could, but... you're not an engine. Not at heart, anyway. I was _foolish_ to think that you would _ever_ see me as more than a machine. You're human at heart, and... you would never love me." Gina said, her last words just a mere whisper.

Now my jaw had _really_ dropped. How was I supposed to know that Gina felt all this for me?! As I thought back over my time with Gina the past few days, I started to see things that, the more I thought about them, the more obvious it had been that she had been _flirting_ with me! But I had no experience with that! I've never once had a girl interested in me, so I didn't know what to look for!

And, truth me told... I _did_ like Gina. It had taken me some time to realize it, but I was starting to find her attractive, in both human, and engine ways. Her face was drop dead _gorgeous_, with her beautiful eyes, highlighted by her thin, long black eyelashes. Her lips looked to be so succulent and soft, and her voice was... the sound of an angel!

Her wheels were beautiful, and her funnel was tall and proud. Her gleaming brass boiler dome, and her sparkling golden headlamps only _accented_ her beauty.

And the thought of her going back to Italy, never to be seen again... well, had I not been an engine, I think I might have been _sick_!

I wanted to tell her how I felt, but... I didn't know how. I'd never confessed to a girl before, because I'd never had the chance. Any girl I ever liked never even wanted to talk to me. And now, I was on the verge of losing the one that did.

"G-Gina..." I started, trying to force the words out of my mouth.

"I... I can't _do it_ anymore Andy. I can't handle seeing you everyday, feeling these things for you... when I know my feelings won't be returned! J-Just... get another engine to sort out the load when you arrive. It's only a short while West. You'll be fine on your own." Gina said, slowly back out from underneath the coal hopper, which had finished fueling her some time ago. "There's nothing for me here, nothing and _no one_. I'm... I'm going back to where I had friends, and family. I'm going back to Italy. I'm... I'm glad I was able to have taught you the ways of an engine, and... and I hope you can find a way to be human again." she said, before quickly switching tracks, and chuffing away, back to the exit of the Steelworks.

"G-Gina, _wait_!" I called, trying to move. But I couldn't. My brake was on, and I was still refueling.

In that moment, I realized everything. I didn't _want_ to be human anymore. If it meant I could be with Gina, and work with her, I'd happily stay an engine for the rest of my life.

"_GINA_!" I called again, blowing my whistle as loud as I could. No response.

My one chance to tell Gina how I felt... and I blew it.

"Joanne, how much longer until I'm fueled?! I _have_ to catch her!" I asked.

"Fifteen minutes! I can't stop the fueling, it has to finish!" she called back. She hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, as she had been all the way back at my tender. She walked up to me, and asked what happened, and why had Gina run off. I told her, and her face turned to one of horror.

"We aren't supposed to leave this load, nor are we supposed to interfere with an engine's job, or their personal life. But Andy... I know how much Gina means to you. As I said, I could see it. I really believe that you need her in your life. She's the one that helped you transition, so she's special to you. She's going back to Italy, you said?" Joanne asked. I nodded.

"She said she'd stay if I had been interested in her, but she doesn't think I am, so she _won't_! I need to stop her before it's too late! I need to tell her everything!" I said. Joanne put her face in her hands.

"You're faster than she is. Once you're fueled, _go_. Don't even wait for me to climb back in, or put the fueling station back. Your fire is lit, so you don't need me right now. Go, catch her, and I'll find you later!" Joanne said.

I nodded, praying that once I was fully fueled, it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Way to go, Andy. You had to open your mouth and make Gina snap. It's probably for the best. She might not have told him at all if he hadn't spoken up. And also, to the one who thought Gina was being weird because someone had found a way to turn Andy back into a human, haha! I fooled you! Although I did consider the idea after you mentioned it, because I hadn't thought of that twist, but I decided to go with Gina threatening to go home.

Do you think Andy will catch her in time, or do you think he'll be to late?


	6. Chapter 6

"You're fueled up! _Go_! I'll catch up later!" Joanne called, climbing down from my tender. With a mighty blast, my whistle rang out loud enough to hear miles away. I put all the effort I had into movement, and quickly launched forwards. I was forced to take the long turn around track around the outskirts of the Steelworks to get out, but once I had done that, I roared through the gate and out onto the mainline. A dull feeling coming from might right side near my wheels suggested I had gone around that corner _way_ to fast, but it would be worth any repair if I could just catch her.

All my practice of maintaining my regulator position to keep going for a long period of time with a heavy load was forfeit now. I held it forward, every _ounce_ of steam power I had going to my wheels. I was going into sprint mode, not jogging mode. The more power to my wheels, the faster I would go.

I kept my eyes focused on the track ahead, down as far as I could see, hoping every time I flew around a corner that I would catch of _glimpse_ of green, but Gina's head-start had been quite a bit. She was light, quick, and agile. I had to force myself to slow for some of the corners, but Gina could probably go around them as fast as she could with her low weight. I blared my whistle as I thundered through road crossings, and over sidings. I would occasionally see an engine going the other way, and as they passed by, they'd either be shouting at me, or looking at me like I was nuts.

"Gina, if I lose you now, I'll _never_ forgive myself. _Please_, wait for me!" I shouted as I sped along. Between the intense state my mind was in, and the fact that I wasn't paying attention to much else, all I could hear was the rapid firing of my cylinders and my wheels spinning at ludicrous speeds. I didn't dare slow at any point I didn't need to, knowing that any wasted moment could be one moment to many.

Eventually, I saw the abandoned siding that Gina and I had gone through before, but thankfully, someone had switched the track to stay on the mainline. Not so thankfully, there was another train on my track, and they didn't seem to be in a particular hurry. I slammed on my brakes, sliding up behind to the engine's consist, and kept close behind it, blowing my whistle in an attempt to get the engine to pull into a siding, or something.

"Come on! Out of the way! This is an _emergency_!" I shouted, keeping my whistle blowing. The engine's load was too long, and presumably they couldn't hear my words. When I saw a track switch that went to the oncoming track, I took it, in hopes of overtaking the engine as quickly as I could. I pumped my pistons as hard as I could, and I felt my speed increasing again, although slower. When I was about three fourths of my way along the slower train, I saw something bad.

An oncoming train. On my track. I _was_ on the opposite side after all.

I blew my whistle loudly, causing the engine ahead of me, as well as the engine I was trying to pass, to hit their brakes. I saw the track switch ahead, which would put me back onto my own side. But I needed to make it before the oncoming engine, and before the engine I was trying to pass. I pushed myself to all I had, and hit the track when I was about twenty feet away from the oncoming engine. I switched back over so quickly, I nearly felt myself pick up my wheels on one side.

"_Crazy idiot!_" I heard one of the two engine's shout as I got back onto my own side, but I didn't care. I didn't care who I annoyed or made angry. All I cared about was Gina.

I continued along, although I could feel the pressure inside me beginning to decrease. I ignored it, and continued on over a large stone bridge. I recognized it as the one that passed over the small river with the stone buildings on one side. I knew I was getting close to Sodor again. It's amazing the distance you can travel when you're in a hurry.

I finally came around the final corner before the Vicarstown bridge, and hit the brakes so hard, I locked up all sixteen of my drivers. Sparks flew as I slid along the smooth rails. I didn't quite stop fast enough, and I bumped into the raised bridge, denting the plow on my front bumper. The contact jerked me to a stop, and for a moment, I was concerned that I had derailed myself, but I was able to move back, so thankfully that wasn't the case.

But the bridge had just finished raising, and there was a large freighter just starting to make its way towards the bridge. It would _easily_ take ten minutes for the bridge to go down again. And what made it worse...

was the fact that I could _see_ Gina on the other side. At least, I believe it was her. I saw a small green engine with red wheels make its way through Vicarstown station in a rapid hurry.

"_GINA_!" I shouted, blowing my whistle as loudly as I could. But it was drowned out by the foghorn of the freighter, blowing to alert the bridge crew and any other ships around. There was nothing I could do but wait for the bridge.

I was stuck. I could do nothing but wait for the ship to pass, and the bridge to go back down.

While I was impatiently waiting, I ran several scenario's through my head of every way my future could turn out. I would catch Gina in time, confess to her, and she'd stay on Sodor with me, I would catch Gina, confess to her, and she'd go back to Italy anyway, or I wouldn't catch her in time, and I'd never see her again. I didn't think I could handle not seeing her again. If I could just see her one last time... I'd tell her everything. Whether she accepted it or not, at least she'd _know_.

Finally, the bridge went back down, and right as I started to move forwards, there was a loud _BANG_! I heard something metallic clatter onto the ground, and the sound of ear shattering steam hissing filled the air. I suddenly found that I could still move, but it took more effort than usual. I felt no pain, but I _did_ have the feeling that something was wrong with my second set of drivers. It didn't feel like they were getting much power, if any at all.

I continued to push myself, and as I crossed the bridge, the loud hissing fluctuated with my movements. I didn't care if I got to her broken, in pain, or otherwise. I just needed to get to her.

I blew my whistle as I approached Vicarstown Station, warning everyone that a train was going to be passing through, and they should back away from the platform edge. I clattered through the station, more and more noises coming from my mechanical parts. None of which sounded good. But I ignored them and kept going.

I took the track that lead to the docks, and along the way, I felt more and more things wrong with me. It was taking more and more effort for me to keep moving, and I was becoming aware of a dull pain resonating from my second wheel set. I didn't dare slow or stop, because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get going again.

I passed a red diesel with yellow and red hazard stripes going the other way, who shouted at me.

"Ahoy Matey! I'd stop if I were you, it sounds like you have a _problem_!" he called as he passed. I ignored him, but picked up the scent of salt as he passed. I must have been near the docks, because he smelled like... sea salt!

Sure enough, as I rounded the next corner, I saw the docks. At the end, there was a ship with track level to Sodor's, and it looked like it was a floating train yard, of a sort. I saw Gina sitting on it, and pushed myself as hard as I could. I blew my whistle loudly, causing almost everyone at the docks to turn their attention towards me. The moment I saw Gina look at me, I tried to call her name.

That turned into a shout of pain as I heard another loud _BANG_!

Despite my best efforts, I was slowing down. I finally creaked to a stop, steam hissing from who knows where on me. Pain was resonating from a fair amount of my mechanical body, and I couldn't move another _inch_.

"_Gina_!" I shouted. Thankfully, she seemed to hear me, and after a bit of hesitation, she chuffed off of the ship, back onto the land coming towards me. She stopped when she neared me, horror on her face.

"Andy, what _happened_ to you?!" she exclaimed. I winced in a moment of pain, before I looked directly at her.

"You... didn't give me a chance to respond." I said. The steam hissing suddenly got quieter, so I didn't have to talk so loud. Gina looked down at the ground.

"Why should I have? I _know_ what you were going to say. You see me as an engine, maybe a friend, but nothing more." she said quietly.

"No I _don't_!" I shouted. She looked back up at me in mild surprise. I bit my lip, and convinced myself to tell her everything.

"Look, Gina... I wasn't a popular kid growing up. I've never, in my _life_, had a girl be interested in me before. In fact, most girls went out of their way to _avoid_ me. I have _no_ experience being flirted with, or talking with a girl that wasn't related to me in general. _That's_ why I didn't pick up on your hints. Not because I wasn't interested in you. I apologize that I made you feel this way, it truly wasn't my intention. If you really want to know how I feel, then I'll tell you." I paused, my face contorting as an intense pain went through me. Gina never looked away from me, waiting for my words.

"I've had a lot of time to think about things since I changed into an engine. At first, I wondered why _me_, of _all_ the scientists in the world? Why was _I_ the one to get the idea, and why was_ I_ the one to have this happen to? Surely I'm not the only one to want to make humans stronger, so why was it me to consider making them more machine like, with machine qualities? I don't know the answer to those questions. Or, I _didn't_. But then I just thought... maybe it was destiny. As I scientist, I didn't believe in fate. I believed that everyone was capable of controlling their future, but now I see that's not always the case. This has been a mind changing event for me, and I believe it's been for the better." I paused again.

"Maybe I was destined to be an engine right from the _start_. Maybe my soul was supposed to be the soul of an engine, but it was put into the body of a human by mistake, I don't really know. There are a lot of things I don't know, and a lot of possibilities I haven't even considered. But what puts me at ease now is that I do know one thing. I know exactly what my destiny is _now_." I said, looking directly into her eyes, a gentle smile on my face.

"I know now that my destiny is to remain in this form, and be with _you_. It is what my _heart_ is telling me. Someone recently told me sometimes you have to think with your heart, not with your mind. I believe it is time I listen to my heart. And my heart is telling me that you're a very, _very_ beautiful engine, Gina. One full of care, compassion, and kindness. Your face is the face of a _Goddess_, and your voice is angelic. You were the first to find me, and you helped me become a functioning engine, so I always considered my relationship with you special. But now... now I'd like to make it special in a _different_ way. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" I asked.

Gina made no movement at all for a minute or two, instead settling for just looking at me as she processed the words I had said. After that, she slowly moved towards me, until she was close enough that I could feel her breath on my face. I may have been a larger engine, but my face was lower on my front, so I was level with her own.

Her beautiful eyes bore directly into my soul, studying me. Right as I was about to say something, she closed the gap the rest of the way, and her lips met my own, giving me something I often wondered if I'd ever have the pleasure of experiencing.

My first kiss.

Granted, I always assumed I'd be a _human_, and in some fancy romantic place, but it hardly mattered now. I wouldn't have traded the happening moment for _anything_.

The feeling of Gina pressing her lips into my own was... one I would treasure forever. There aren't words to describe the feeling of kissing your true love. The closest word that comes to mind was maybe... _ecstasy_.

I closed my eyes, and just let Gina take over. I no experience in kissing, so I let her show me the way. But she didn't. Instead, I felt her shudder. I opened my eyes, to find that she was still kissing me, but she had tears running down her face. Her eyes were still closed, though.

After a moment, she pulled her lips away from mine, just barely. She brushed them over my lips again, before she spoke.

"I have dreamed of this moment... _for so long._" she whispered in a shuddering breath. "Dreamed of finding the engine I truly love, knowing that they would love me back, and love me for who I am. Knowing they would protect me from _anything_, and that they would love me for the rest of my life, and make my life complete. That they would always be there for me, and keep me warm on cold nights, and keep me company in my times of need. Will... will you do that, Andy?" she asked, finally opening her eyes to look at me in hope. I forced every ounce of will inside me, and _made_ myself move forwards, regardless of how much pain it caused. I nuzzled Gina's cheek with my own, and we both closed our eyes.

"I will. I love you for who you are, and I'll do all I can to make sure you're safe and happy. I want nothing but the best for you, for me... for _us_. For the rest of our lives." I whispered back.

Gina let out a small sob, and she pressed herself harder against me, nuzzling me gently as I kissed her again.

"I... I love you, Andy." she whispered. I kissed her again.

"I did happen to study some foreign languages, so I'm happy that I can say this to you. _Ti amo_, Gina. With all my heart, however mechanical it may now be." I said. Gina's eyes widened, and she looked at me with a quivering smile on her face.

But, as is custom for most romance, there's always some drama, or _something_ that goes wrong. At that exact moment, there was another loud noise that came from me, and such an overwhelming rush of pain coursed through my metal body that I simply couldn't bear it.

I looked at Gina while I was doing my damnedest not to shout in pain. I saw the edges of my vision fading as I slipped out of consciousness. And the last thing I saw?

Gina's face, of pure fright as I slipped into the void of the mind.

* * *

I believe one of the most important parts of a romance story is the moment of confession, and the words said during the moment. I try so hard to make it romantic, sweet, and possibly sad. Do you all think I do a good job of that?

And now, it would seem Andy is damaged. Perhaps he pushed himself to hard in his efforts to catch Gina. He is a machine now, after all, and they have their limits, just as we have our own. He needs help, but who could get him to the Steamworks? Perhaps... a certain small Italian engine will have a chance to put Andy's earlier words to the test. You can do anything you believe you can do, and size is not what matters.

We shall see...


	7. Chapter 7

I woke to the smell of burning. I quickly opened my eyes, and looked around to find that I was in the Steamworks Building. The crackling sound of welding could be heard, and I assumed that's what I was smelling. It was then that I noticed I had _several_ sets of eyes on me. Gina, Joanne, Sir Topham Hatt, and a small square green and yellow diesel in particular.

"Uh... yes?" I asked. A massive smile broke out onto Gina's face, and it looked as if she was trying to restrain herself. Joanne had a smile on her face, and nodded at me, and Sir Topham Hatt looked pleased.

"Welcome back, Andy. I must say, I wasn't expecting you to... draw this much _attention_ to yourself in your first few days. And I am aware of the load you left at the Steelworks. Keep in mind that dropping a load like that won't be tolerated, but..." Sir Topham Hatt paused to look at Gina, and then back to me. "For this time, I'll let it slide. I've... been told _why_ you did so, and I must thank you myself. If you had not stopped Gina from going back to Italy, it would have been to late for me to realize that I need her here permanently, to help you." Sir Topham Hatt said.

"Sir?" I asked, unsure of what he meant.

"You're a very large, very strong engine, Andy. I'm going to have you be my primary long distance freight engine. But you'll need an engine to go _with_ you on every trip to help shunt and organize the freight when it gets to its destination. Every time you have a long distance job, Gina will double-head with you as the shunter. Although... it's apparent to me now that she's capable of _much_ more than just shunting." Sir Topham Hatt said. I was beyond happy to hear that Gina was staying on Sodor, and that she'd be working with me, but I didn't quite understand what he meant by the last remark.

"Sir, why am I at the Steamworks?" I asked. I remembered what happened before, but I hadn't realized at that point that I had been damaged. I was mainly just remembering that I had confessed to Gina.

"Well, in your fast, and frankly, _dangerous_ attempt to stop Gina, you pushed yourself _well_ past your dedicated top speed, and it stressed several of your systems to the breaking point. You blew a compression box, snapped a wheel rod, one of said rods tore a hole in your draining cylinder, and you used up all your steam in your rapid sprint. You also burned out a lot of the lubrication of your moving parts. I don't recommend pushing yourself that fast again. You might not be so lucky as being fixable as you were this time." Sir Topham Hatt said. I looked to Gina.

"I knew I was pushing myself and that something was wrong. But I also knew that if I could just catch Gina, and tell her everything, it would be worth it. Even if I wasn't able to move again." I said. Gina's lip quivered as she smiled at me. Sir Topham Hatt nodded.

"Well, you're here now, and you're being fixed. Victor and his team will take good care of you, although progress will be slower than normal. You're a much larger engine than we're used to, and some parts have to be made to fit you, or be strong enough for you to use. Once you're ready, report to me the morning after you've been fixed, and I'll give you and Gina your next job. You two are partners now, so make sure your... _relationship_ doesn't get in the way of your work duties." he said. I nodded, but still had one more question.

"Sir, what did you mean when you said 'It's apparent Gina is capable of much more than just shunting'?" I asked. Sir Topham Hatt smiled, and looked at Gina.

"There weren't any other engine's available when you passed out. Gina here knew you needed help quickly, so... she pushed you to the Steamworks. All by herself. And then she told me something you had told her. _'You can do anything you believe you can do.'_ I must say, Andy, you knew what you were talking about. If she were a human, I would say adrenaline helped her, but she's _not_ a human. So I can only say that she... she's a very special little engine." Sir Topham Hatt said. I looked directly at Gina.

"I told you there was a big, strong engine inside of you waiting to get out. It's just a shame I couldn't see it for myself." I said. Gina blushed.

"I... I knew if I didn't get you here quickly... you might not have made it. I'd... I'd do _anything_ for you Andy. Even if it meant damaging myself to get you fixed. I actually damaged some of my running gear getting you here, but it's already been repaired." she said. Sir Topham Hatt nodded.

"Like I said, you both show strong dedication to each other. Be sure to show that same level of dedication to your work." he said. The small diesel moved forwards.

"Whoa! I've never seen an engine as big as you before! What are you?!" he asked. I smiled.

"I can't say for sure, because I don't know. But, don't be scared of me. I like to think I'm a very kind engine." I said.

"The kindest." Gina said.

"My name is Phillip! I'm one of the smallest engine's here! It would probably take seven or eight of me to be as long as you, probably more!" he said. I smiled.

"Well remember Phillip, size doesn't matter. What matters is how hard to work and try to help." I said. Sir Topham Hatt climbed into Phillip.

"Quite true Phillip! I need engine's of all sizes to do all sorts of important things! Including you!" he said. Phillip blew his horn, and reversed out of a the Steamworks, a smile on his face. Now, it was just Gina, Joanne, and myself. It was fairly dark out, and I could hear the last of the workmen getting ready to leave.

"They've made some good progress on you today, but they think you'll still be here for a few days." Joanne said. I nodded.

"Thank you Joanne. You were right, you know." I said. She cocked her head.

"About what?" I asked. I blushed.

"_Everything_. My feelings for Gina, and that sometimes you have to think with your heart, not your head. I might not have realized that if you hadn't said anything." I said. Joanne chuckled.

"Oh, I think you would have. But you're welcome, either way. I'm going home to get some shut-eye. I'll see you in a few days, big boy. I'll be sure you work hard! Now, I'll just leave you and your girl alone. I'm sure you two have _things_ you'd like to do together." she said, before laughing to herself as she left the building. Gina and I looked at each other, and we both blushed.

"I was _so_ scared..." Gina whispered, puffing forward to press her buffers against mine. "When you passed out... I thought you were gone..." she said, a few tears beginning to run down her face. I gently smiled.

"Thanks to you, I'm right here. I owe you my life, Gina. You found your big strong engine, and you proved my theory. You can do anything you want to do. And right now, I'm not moving. So... you can do anything you want to do... to _me_." I said, nearly cringing at my own terrible line. But, it seemed to work, as Gina moved forwards to kiss me. Our lips tenderly grazed each other for a short while, before Gina got a little more aggressive. She pushed her lips into mine more firmly, her breath getting shaky. I nibbled at her a little bit, which caused her to moan slightly.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, and she pressed her face into mine, nuzzling me affectionately.

"Do you really intend to stay on Sodor... just for me?" I asked quietly, remembering what she had said at the Steelworks.

"Of course I do. I _love_ you." Gina quietly replied. I felt guilty.

"Gina... I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone, but... I don't want to keep you from your home. I know you miss it." I said. Gina nuzzled me again.

"I've heard the saying 'Home is where the heart is'. As you pointed out earlier, my heart may be mechanical... but its place is with you. Where you go, I will follow. Italy isn't going anywhere. Maybe we both can visit someday. But for right now... my home is here, on Sodor, with you." she said, kissing me again. As she kissed me, I felt as if I might cry. I had never imagined I would be loved so intensely by someone.

"G-Gina..." I started, trying not to cry. Gina could clearly see I was trying to hold back tears, and she rubbed her cheek against mine in comfort.

"It's alright... let it out, Andy. I'm here..." she soothed. I felt a few tears roll down my cheeks as I quietly cried.

"I... I never thought I'd hear someone say something so _beautiful_." I whispered. Gina chuckled quietly.

"You're one to talk. Do you even remember _half_ of the things you said to _me_? Why do you think I broke down so hard? I'd never heard anyone say anything so romantic or beautiful directed at me before. You didn't just touch my heart, Andy, you _slammed_ into it with the force of a... well, a freight train." she said. I smiled, and rubbed my nose against Gina's.

"And I meant every word." I whispered, kissing her again.

"I love you, Andy." Gina whispered.

"I love you, Gina." I replied.

We both closed our eyes as the exhaustion from the days events finally caught up to both of us. I can't say what Gina dreamed about that night, but my dreams were full of wonder and excitement. Wonder about what my future as an engine could hold in store for me, and excitement that, whatever it was, I knew Gina would be there facing it with me.

I now had a new life to live, and I had someone by my side to go through it with me, and help me along. What more could I need?

I realized than as I slept, that all the dreams I'd always had, about being strong and unique, and having someone to love... had all come true. Not quite in the way I had pictured it, but maybe it was fate that it happened differently.

It still happened, so who was I to complain? You must take life as it comes, and always remember that if you feel your life is out of control, just stay calm.

There will always be someone out there to help you through it.

You just might not know them yet.

* * *

And thus brings us to the end of this strange little story. I always try to put a lesson in my stories, and the one to learn here is that you're never alone in today's world, no matter how much it seems like it. There will always be someone somewhere for you.

I hope you all enjoyed this story! Constructive criticism and reviews are welcome and encouraged!


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